Collisions and Unity
by killer needle
Summary: More and more people are disappearing as evil people drag innocents down one by one. People need to fight back. The academy can't protect everyone unless they unite with duelists from around the world. OC's and JadenALexis warning blood
1. Pupeteer versus Newbie

Well hello everyone it's been a while since I've wrote a fanfic so have so patience with me please and I hope your enjoy my fic. Be warned again there will be blood but hey I'm sure that's what you'll like. Also note that there won't be any GX characters in this chapter but don't threat cause of course I'll thread them into this story eventually. Now behold a story where people of the shadows, the demons, the ghosts and the evils know the ways of the shadow realm. Yugi and Jaden aren't the only people to have encounters with such a dangerous place. Now lets begin.

The Puppet Versus The Rookie

The child had only been day dreaming for a minute. His boring teacher Professor Marion Ette (he liked using his full name) had been droning on and on about Macbeth. He had no interest in it. Ryan was just a fourteen year old boy that felt that he didn't need this. It was why he didn't pay attention in the subject, it was why he didn't care about the people in his class especially those that had gone missing, moved away and transferred. It was also why he never noticed the change in the atmosphere until the last second.

He turned slowly. He gasped. The room was now empty minus him and the Professor that now sat at his desk writing away with no pause. He didn't even look up.

Ryan got up slowly; he noticed how the room had suddenly changed to a violent purple colour that pulsed around the walls. It was so strange how the walls looked like they were moaning.

Then the light drained from the room. The windows became slabs of pure black as if it were night already. This was strange, but it was a dream right? A dream nothing more.

Then out of the blue the professor stood up finally acknowledging Ryan's existence.

"You look lost Ryan" The professor spoke. He was young and had light brown hair and his skin was pale. Despite the fact he looked so young he was a very intelligent person one to rival even the older residents of the school.

"Sir…what…what is this place?" he asked trembling as his eyes scanned the walls of the class room. He swore he had seen a moaning face in one of them.

He turned back to the Professor and yelped. The professor's hair had fallen out replacing it with long locks of red hair that hung over pale skin that was now turning to a cold stone grey.

"Welcome to the shadow realm boy…welcome to the brink of death" he laughed out maniacally as something sprouted from his back. It had arms and a head and was attached to a torso. But…this was no creature. It was a puppet.

"What is this place?" He yelled at him "What the hell are you?" He yelled again. The head on the puppet turned and laughed at me with a wooden clunking sound, the puppets head was a sphere shape and had a crudely drawn female face on it.

"This is the shadow realm a world that has existed since ancient times…and there are those few who know of its existence" The Professor now held out his hands. As he did the wailing and crying of many voices echoed through the room.

"You wonder why so many people went missing? Because I fed them to the shadows!" He wailed with laughter as he took a step back his eyes wide as he watched the creature now begin to walk forward, "They screamed as they were devoured…bit by bit…"

The creature clambered onto the desk of the professor "Now state your game boy"

"What?" He whimpered as he kept taking steps backwards his body shaking.

"In this world there is still a fair chance for the opponent to win when we play a game…in fact it's the only rule of the shadow realm" the creature held up its hands.

"Now…pick" He clicked his fingers and the puppet on his back leapt off him and landed on the desk besides him. Its wooden chest opened and in it was revealed a vortex, an endless vortex with thousands and thousands or different packages in it swirling around like they were caught in a tide at sea.

"Pick one of those? But it could be anything…how do I just pick?"

"Simple…"

The puppet raised its wooden hands before grabbing his arm and thrusting it into the vortex. He screamed in fear but this didn't last long as a package fell into his hand and he pulled it out.

"Aha…a card game…how dull" The creature sighed as the puppet sat down on the floor it's body clunking with every movement.

"A card game?" He asked puzzled before yelping as all the desks around them flew in different directions. He looked down at the package, his eyes widened as he witnessed what was in his hands. A pack of duel monster cards.

"You've got to be joking? Were going to decide my fate by playing a card game I gave up a year ago?"

"In order to cheat death you have to play death and it's exactly the same here" The professor smirked before the puppet infront of him transformed into a strange table like object.

"Yeah but why the-" He yelped as he felt a stinging pain in his arm and looked down. On his arm was now a duel disk. A blue and green duel disk that looked more ancient than hi-tech but still it was useable and it was not going to come off.

"Buy how am I supposed to remember how to play this?" He yelled out in frustration.

"Oh you'll have to remember how" the professor said before drawing five cards from a deck he placed on the wooden table before him. He looked over the cards before playing one.

"I play one card face down and then place one card in defence mode…"

He looked puzzled at the card that had been placed on the table. It didn't look half as threatening as he would have thought it would be. It was just lying harmlessly on the table.

"Now I play Revealing Light! This card flips all face down defence cards face up!" He yelled as he played a magic card with a hand with light radiating from it.

Ryan shielded his eyes as a blinding flash burst through the class room. As it faded his eyes squinted through the light. And then he choked. Something was now standing towering over him. A giant wooden golem with bright yellow eyes, sphere like fists and a burnt on 18 number on his chest. It towered over him almost hitting its head against the top of the class room.

"This…this isn't real…it's just a dream…just a dream…" He whispered to himself his body shaking as he looked into the creatures yellow eyes.

Professor grinned, "I knew that showing you just what this game means would scare you…behold boy the wooden giant possessed by evil Inpachi!"

(1600/1900)

"I'm not scared!" He yelled at the blue professor before drawing five cards forcefully from the deck on his arm before looking over them.

"I need to remember…my strategy..." He tapped his forehead before looking over the cards once more. He had to remember what his strategy was otherwise he was already dead…

"I…I play…one card….face down in defence" He put the card onto the duel disk and it appeared in front of him harmlessly. He felt sweat trickle down his forehead.

The professor just smirked as he drew another card "I play Blazing Inpachi into attack mode!"

(1850/0)

Another Inpachi appeared except this time it was covered in searing hot flames. He could feel the wave of heat radiating off the creatures body.

"Then I play two cards face down and attack your face down monster!" The flaming giant raised its wooden hands before throwing a blaze of fire at the defence card burning it to ashes.

"That was Giant Rat!" Ryan declared managing to get some courage from the effect.

"When it's destroyed I can bring out another earth monster with 1500 or less attack power" The giant rat's ghost appeared in front of Ryan before forming into a huge grey rat.

"So I play another Giant rat!" (1450)

The professor merely smirked "I play the face down card I had Ultimate offering!" The face down card he had flipped up revealing a purple card with a purple monster on it spawning another monster.

"This card lets me sacrifice 500 life points to summon more monsters…and I'll sacrifice 500 life points to summon another blazing Inpachi"

The professor paused for a moment before suddenly retching all over the wooden puppet table. He looked like he had just thrown up. But out of the vile red and green liquid that came spewing out of his mouth another flaming Inpachi formed.

Ryan almost felt like being sick himself. The sight was too much he wanted out "Hold on how many life points are we playing with?" Ryan called out in a panic as he felt the searing heat. He began to furiously sweat.

"8000 so that means I have 7500 oh and by the way I'm activating the card Light of intervention" Another trap card this time with a demon on it caught in a beam of light was revealed.

"This makes it so neither of us can set monsters…and I may as well activate ultimate offering again to summon Charcoal Inpachi to defence mode" He played the card face up and an Inpachi coloured ash black appeared sat down. It's charred body giving off a little smoke.

(100/2100) Professors Life points: 7000

"Now Blazing Inpachi will attack your rat" Another ball of fire. Another burnt rat sent to the grave.

"I'll activate its effect again to summon …" The rat spirit rose from the fire forming into a different monster. It was a blue gas like monster that formed into the shape of a tiger.

"This is soul tiger!" (0/2100)

"Fine your turn…"

He drew a card from his deck "Okay now I remove Giant rat from play to summon Gigantes!"

The spirit of the rat rose again before being slammed into the class room floor as a giant wearing armour crashed onto the floor with a echoing roar. He was carrying a huge log which he smashed against the ground sending powerful tremors through the class room floor.

(1900/1300)

"And now I attack with Gigantes!" Ryan pointed at Blazing Inpachi. Gigantes flew at the burning giant smashing him in the face with a giant fist and shattering him into burning shards.

Professor's life point: 6950

"And I'll end it at that" Ryan said proudly a wide smile on his face. He wasn't afraid anymore. He had two monsters on his side of the field one with reasonable attack and one with reasonable defence. Plus he still had 8000 life points.

The professor drew a card "I now sacrifice my Blazing Inpachi to summon Wood Borg Inpachi in attack mode!"

The same charred inpachi appeared out onto the field except this time he was covered in metal plate armour and had tank tracks instead of legs. (500/2500)

"Then I'll play Tribute doll and sacrifice Charcoal Inpachi to summon my most powerful monster Zoa!" A doll nailed to a table appeared behind Charcoal Inpachi before both of them disappeared behind shadows that swirled around them.

A blue demon like creature staggered out of the shadows hissing at Ryan. Fear had returned. The creature was hideous. And vicious and it wanted his blood.

"Zoa has 2600 attack power and will now attack your gigantes!" The demon lashed out at the giant grabbing it in both hands before biting its head clean off.

Ryan shrieked as blood spilled from the creature head before the rest of its body was torn apart and fed to the shadow creature.

"Bastard…" Ryan swore at him.

Ryan's life points: 7300

"But..." Ryan began before pointing towards him "Gigantes special effect activates because when it's summoned all traps and spells on the feild are destroyed" All the Professors cards shattered under the tremours that Gigantes corpse caused as it hit the floor.

"I end" The professor chuckled as he watched the boys face pale.

"I draw…" Ryan murmured too shook up from what he had just seen. He looked at the card he had drawn and then the cards in his hand.

"And….I'll sacrifice my Soul Tiger and the wolf axe wielder in my hand to The Black Luster Ritual!" He played down the magic card revealing a black shield with two swords on it. The Tigers spirit and the wolf axe wielders formed into the two blades before the shield shattered.

A knight was revealed wearing black and yellow armour and carrying a large sword. His hair was red and skin was pale and there was a dragon emblem on his helmet. (3000/2500)

"Now I remember" He growled at The Professor his fists clenched.

"My strategy was Earth Monsters I always used Earth Monsters in my deck because they were perfect sacrifice for the Black Luster Soldier" The Professor seemed to ignore him. His eyes were more focused on the threatening blade that the Black Luster soldier held in his hands.

"This is for Gigantes! I play on Black Luster the Sword of the deep seated and Invigoration!" Two magic cards appeared one with a purple sword on it with two glowing red eyes in the back ground and one with a colourful yellow light.

"Together these two cards increase his attack power by 900 but decrease his defence by 200 because of invigoration" Black Luster sparked with yellow energy before his sword turned into the same purple blade on the card (3900/2300)

"And now I'll destroy your Zoa!" He yelled and the knight lashed out at the demon cutting it straight down the centre into two shadows.

Professors life points: 5650

Ryan grinned at his trump card, sure it had cost him all the cards in his hand to make that move but it didn't matter, "And since he was your most powerful monster your practically beat-"

"Wrong" Professor yelled with a sickening grin "First of all I activate Michizure!"

A card with a man holding onto a cliff with another man holding onto his leg appeared.

"This card activates when you destroy one of my monsters I can immediately destroy a monster on your ride of the field" Zoa's soul rose from the ground before dragging a struggling Black Luster Soldier with him.

"An by the way know this…your finished…next turn you will have to draw sword of the deep seated because of it's effect to put it on the top of your deck"

"Yeah but you only have Woodborg and Inpachi on your side of the field!" Ryan exclaimed in fear. Surely he could take two attacks and pull out something bigger and better? Right?

"Oh you idiot…I draw" He looked at the card before grinning "And now I play Cost Down"

A magic card with two swords penetrating the cards level stars appeared "It reduces all monster cards in my hands level's by 2 points meaning that level 8 monsters become level 6 and only need one tribute" He grinned before playing a card.

"I now summon Perfect Machine King by sacrifice Wood Borg!" The upgraded machine fell to pieces before a light red and white giant robot appeared in its place with missile launchers on its back.

(2700/1500)

"This may not threaten you with your big 7300 life points but this card is one of my most powerful creatures"

Ryan froze. He said Zoa was his most powerful creature…he had been tricked. The professor wanted him to play a more powerful card so he could destroy it. And now with the next turn bringing him only a sword that he couldn't equip to any of his monsters he would probably be finished.

"But I'm not going to waste my time by waiting three turns…you see first of all Machine King's attack power is increased by 500 for every machine other than itself on the field (3200/1500) but also now I'll play on it mega morph! Which will double this cards original attack power to 5900"

A card with a strange circle artefact appeared above the robot showering it with a green aura. (5900/1500)

"Now plus I'll now move my Inpachi to attack mode (1600/1900)" The professor looked down him with a smirk on his face.

"Now do the math kid…5900 plus 1600 will equal?"

"7500" Ryan murmured breathlessly. He had lost. He was doomed.

"Good now Perfect Machine King attack!" The machine's rocket launchers fired a wave of missiles towards Ryan. He braced himself for the impact. This was going to hurt and he knew it.

But how badly it hurt surprised him. Mainly because when the missiles impacted on his arms, legs and lower body. They were blown to pieces.

His barely half a body lay on the ground. He let out a wild scream of pain as blood flowed from his severed body parts. He could hear the professor laughing.

Ryan's life points: 7300-5400 1900

Machine Kings Attack power is now halved due to mega morph 1850

"I attack with Inpachi"

Ryan looked up trying to utter the word please but he was already dead as the creature crushed his head under its wooden fist.

The professor looked down over the perfectly intact torso. He reached down. And ripped out his heart before eating it.

-------

Well that certainly didn't go the way you were probably expecting it to eh? Well this is a nice return for me and yes I will try and post another chapter but how long that will take me could be a while but don't threat I'm sure inspiraion will come to me eventually.


	2. Murder so foul

The boy known as Jaden Yuki slept soundly on the grassy lawn of Duel Academy. He was relaxed, he did not need to worry about the shadow realm or other forces of evil today. Today was going to be different.

"Jaden!" A kid with pale hair and small glasses ran over towards the brown haired boy.

"Hey Syrus what's wrong?"

"Haven't you heard Jaden?"

"Heard about what?"

"People have been found around the world…" He gulped "Dead"

Jaden looked at him for a moment with a confused look on his face. Sure the harsh reality of life was that people died every day, was Syrus really so simple minded?

"Er…Syrus how sheltered of a life have you been living?"

"Jaden I don't mean like that! People have been found dead with Duel Monster cards at their sides" He exclaimed his body shaking. This had obviously come as a great shock to Syrus.

"Couldn't it be just a coincidence?" Jaden asked cocking his head to one side as he looked at Syrus.

Syrus never got to reply. There was the sound of an alarm going off. In a matter of moments people came rushing over the grassy lawns of Duel Academy. Some were chatting, some were screaming, some were crying?

"Why did the fire alarm go off?" Syrus asked puzzled as he looked around the crowd of duellists.

Jaden noticed one of the girls were knelt down on the ground her face in her hands as tears poured from her eyes. Next to her side was a girl with long dirty blonde hair wearing a white and blue duel academy uniform. Her eyes met with Jadens. She motioned to him to come closer.

"Alexis what's going on?" Jaden asked as him and Syrus walked towards them, sometimes struggling with the amount of people that barged in their way.

"He…they…he's…blood…" Then weeping girl croaked her eyes swollen and red. She wore the same uniform as Alexis but was shorter and had short deep red hair which fell over her amber eyes.

Alexis looked at the girl stroking her back gently "This is Gale she's a new student here...Syrus?" Alexis asked tenderly looking towards the boy. He seemed surprised that she acknowledged his existence.

"Can you take care of Gale I need to tell Jaden about what just happened" Syrus nodded but in a dumb fashion. It was obvious he knew next to nothing about how the hell to cheer a girl up. But the moment he sat down beside the weeping girl she grabbed him and clung onto him like he was the only thing to hold onto. Naturally Syrus broke into a huge blush, Jaden would have chuckled but with the seriousness of what was happening he couldn't bring himself to.

"What happened?" Jaden asked Alexis in a whisper his eyes still looking towards Gale for a moment.

Alexis paused. Her mouth open as she tried to bring the words together, "Today…a boy…he was just killed"

Jadens eyes widened his face full of shock as he looked at Alexis. His heart beating faster for the wrong reason. Murder? Here of all places?

"They found him…butchered…with his deck…shoved into his mouth" Alexis croaked her body shuddering as she felt herself begin to crack. Normally she was a strong person. But the way Gale had described the boy's death to her. It was too much even for her.

"Are you ok?" Jaden asked ignoring his own feelings of fear and disgust as he noticed Alexis shudder. She seemed to stare at him unsure of what to do or say. The crowd around them was getting louder and more and more people were filling the grassy fields.

"I…I'm scared Jaden" she spoke softly her hands now trembling "Here was the only place I felt safe and-"

She was cut off as Jaden reached forward and cupped her shaking hands, "It's alright their going to find out who did it they can't run away"

Alexis blanked out. His hands were warm. The words were few but they already seemed to stop her body from trembling.

"It'll be fine" He spoke softly his eyes staring deep into hers.

The moment was suddenly broken by the voice of Professor Crowler, a thin bony pale skin man with pale blonde hair, he was shouting down a megaphone, "All right is everybody here! We shall now take your names! Whoever is not here will be arrested do not try and leave the field you will be caught-"

"_I will be caught eh?"_

Jaden looked up now. He swore he had just heard a voice. Crowler was still shouting down the megaphone trying to get order over the hundreds of duellists which were alight with talk of the murder, "Now all Obelisk Blue stand on the right! Slifer red stand on the left and Ra yellow stand in the centre!"

"_The fool need not do such a thing I'm right here"_

"I said move!" He yelled his eyes narrowed on the ground of children. His fists were clenched. He clearly was not able to shrug off the truth that someone was dead.

"_Your so afraid Crowler…all of you children are…you cannot run from me…you cannot run from us"_

Jaden was sure he could hear the voice now. It was all around him. He let go of Alexis's hands before he began to wade through the crowds of people.

"_I'm close children…"_

Crowler now stopped shouting. He could hear the voice too. In fact everybody could.

"_I am the puppeteer you dance in my play of death of fools"_

Duellists were beginning to slip into silence as the voice went on.

"_I went by the name of Professor_ _Marion Ette in the last school I was in...But you all can call me Mario"_

Some of the children were beginning to stir uneasily. The sound of Gale crying was the only thing that could be heard.

"_I can see you child"_

Jaden walked towards Gale. She still clutched onto Syrus, perhaps even tighter than she had before.

"_I can touch you child"_

"No!" Jaden yelled out. He saw it. The stone grey face and locks of blood red hair. The white hooded cloak covering the attacker's body. It had a wooden puppet at his side about to grab Gale and Syrus.

The attacker looked up a dark portal opening up behind him into endless shadow. He looked back at Gale and Syrus lunging for them with the aid of his puppet. But Jaden was already there. He crashed into the unknown creature sending him and Jaden flying back into the portal he had just opened.

The puppet seemed surprised as it looked back at the portal before jumping in after them. The name 'Jaden' being shouted as it closed behind them.

---

The attacker and Jaden fell to the hard ground. He was shoved away by the unknown foe.

"You little prick how dare you interrupt my kill!" The creature looked down at Jaden. The boy was trying to glare back at him. He was trying to be brave. But he could sense the beating of his heart, inside he was scared.

"But…you have an abnormal heart beat…tell me…what is your name?" He asked the boy who was now getting to his feet.

"Jaden Yuki" He declared glaring at the attacker "Who are you? Are you the one that killed that boy?"

"Yes I am" he replied bluntly he looked down at Jaden with a smirk "Jaden Yuki you've got quite a winning streak I hear in Duel Monsters according to the database I hacked into"

"I don't care what you know about me why did you kill him!" Jaden yelled at him his fists clenched.

"Manners Jaden…like I said I am Professor Marion Ette but you may call me Mario" He gave a short bow before snapping his fingers. A puppet appeared at his side. It was human like minus for the lack of legs and the sphere like head with a crudely drawn face on it.

"This is Clarissa" He motioned to the puppet "As for the boy…well the little prick found me hacking the database after you all left class…I had to kill him…I had to eat his rich delicious heart"

Jaden lurched backwards clutching his stomach "You…you're a cannibal!"

"I'm also a murderer and since were both here in the void of death, the endless nothingness or as you call it the shadow realm…" he clicked his fingers again. Clarissa suddenly transformed in front of him to become the same table he used to duel Ryan.

"I challenge you Jaden to a duel…a card game…whoever wins gets to leave here" Mario grinned at Jaden who simply glared back at him.

"Your on murderer…" he snarled before crying out and clutching his arm. The same red and green duel disk that Ryan had previously duelled with grafted onto his arm.

"Painful I know and I may as well warn you this won't be like your average card game…I also better add that were going to play with 8000 life points not 4000"

"I'll be keeping every one of them" Jaden growled bringing out his deck and slotting it into the duel disk.

"Very well then" The darkness around them suddenly transformed into a pulsating fleshy purple environment. The sound of a heart beating echoing in their ears. This was going to be brutal. This was going to be a duel that different to any Jaden had played.

"Hold on to your heart" Mario growled before drawing five cards…

----

Well that's chapter two glad I got the gx characters in felt bad cheating you all out of them :) well R & R people oh and I may as well apologise now about the miscalculations and mistakes I made in the last chapter hopefully it won't happen again  chapter 3 coming up…"Heroes can never die"


	3. Heroes never die

And now the thrilling conclusion….enjoy

----

Mario drew a card before looking towards Jaden. He knew for the first time he should be concerned about him. This was someone who had only been defeated by a few people according to the database he hacked into. But he could feel it; the savage beating of Jaden's heart was too incredible to miss. He needed it. He needed to feast on it.

"I'll play Inpachi to attack mode and then use Invigoration on him to increase his attack power by 400 points and decrease his defence by 200" The same cards as in the last duel appeared on the Mario table. The giant wooden robot glowing with a yellow aura as it loomed down over Jaden.

(2000/1700)

"One card face down and it's your turn" Mario spoke as he put one card face down on his side of the field.

Jaden drew a card before grinning "I play elemental hero bubble man in attack mode"

A man dressed in blue and wearing armour that resembled a scuba diving kit, on his arm was a small gun (800/1200)

"And with his effect I draw two more cards because he's the only monster on my side of the field!" He drew two more before slapping down a magic card with a picture of an orange spiral on it.

"Now I play polymerization to fuse together bubble man with elemental heroes Sparkman and avian to summon elemental hero tempest" The three cards combined in a vortex of light. Spark man a hero wearing completely blue and yellow and an arrow like helmet, while avian was a man with white wings and birds feet, he was dressed in completely green except for the red face mask over his eyes.

As the three combined together they formed a muscular man monster whose chest armour was the same as spark mans yet it had wings like avian. There was a visor over his eyes and his right arm was a huge gun.

(2800/2800)

"Then I'll play one card face down and attack with tempest!" The warrior rose into the air before aiming the gun at Inpachi and firing out a beam of blue lightning which blew the wooden giant to pieces.

Mario Life points: 7200

Mario cursed as he put the card in his graveyard. Why had he bothered using Ryan's weak cards in his deck? He drew another card before looking through his hand and placing one card face down.

"Ok I'll now play one card face down and summon Blazing Inpachi to attack mode!" The flaming Inpachi rose from the field looming down over Jaden just like the previous Inpachi. (1850/0)

Jaden looked up at the monster. He could feel the heat of the roaring fire. This was no ordinary duel. This was a shadow game. He had felt this before many a time. He didn't flinch. He knew what to do to win.

"Now I'll use Ultimate Offering and sacrifice 1000 life points to summon another Inpachi…and sacrifice the Blazing Inpachi bring fourth…" The same trap card flipped up and another Inpachi was summoned to the field in defence mode. As for Blazing Inpachi it began to disintegrate into purple smoke.

Mario's life points: 6200

"Magical Marionette" The purple smoke formed into a puppet like creature wearing a long red hooded cape. Its face only had one single red eye and from his hands hung a wooden puppet.

(2000/1000)

"Now I'll equip him with the axe of despair to increase his attack power by 1000 points" An axe with a human head on the handle appeared. Jaden wouldn't have worried or blinked twice. But when the axe of despair was appeared in the marionettes left hand he noticed:

"Whose head is that?" He yelled out as fear and disgust filled the bottom of his stomach. He couldn't think he could barely breathe as he looked at the head on the handle.

"That Jaden is Ryan he's the last little boy I killed" And he was right. The boy's dark head of hair and deep blue eyes hung on the handle with a blade coming out of the side of his head, blood dripping off the horrified face of the kid.

"Now let's stay focused here Jaden" Mario chuckled in a sinister tone licking his lips "My Marionette gains 1000 attack points (3000/1000) plus because of his effect I also gain one spell counter on him" The marionette's puppet jerked in it's right hand glowing with a red aura.

"Marionette slice up tempest" The puppet lunged at the warrior slicing him in half from the waist. Blood splattered the floor in front of Jaden.

Jaden's life points: 7800

"Tempest!" he yelled out as the two halves came down onto the field "What kind of sick game is this!" he yelled his eyes suddenly filling with tears as he looked at the corpse of his fallen warrior.

"In this game Jaden you are not sheltered from the harsh reality" Mario spoke in a solemn tone "Monsters die, blood is spilt exactly how it is in real life" Mario's tone seemed to darken as he said this. The sick grin had faded from his face.

Jaden wiped his eyes "This is too cruel…but…but I won't give up Tempest can return when I give up the Fake Hero magic card on my side of the field!" The magic card flipped up before it melted away into the graveyard. A blue light engulfed the corpse of Tempest before suddenly it formed once again into a healthy Elemental Hero.

"I end my turn by placing a face down card on the field Jaden" Mario called out the grin returning as he played a card face down on the wooden table. Jaden would want to protect his monsters. He wouldn't want them to die and see the blood gush from their bodies, "Do something quick to save your tempest"

Jaden drew a card from his deck. He was afraid. He did not want to see Tempest cut in half like that ever again.

"I now play defusion!" A magic card with a yellow spiral going the reverse direction to the spiral on polymerization appeared. Tempest glowed with the same yellow aura and spun around twice before forming into the three separate cards on the field.

Spark man (1600/1400)

Avian (1000/1000)

Bubble man (800/1200)

"And in response to that" Mario interrupted before Jaden could speak "I now play the card Solemn Wishes that lets me regain 500 points for every card I draw" Mario called out as a trap card with a woman in the rain flipped up on the field.

"It doesn't matter!" Jaden snapped back at him as he slammed a card down "I'm going to play one card face down and use my next polymerization to fuse bubble man and clay man to create elemental hero Mud ball man!" a machine like creature appeared. It had a circular orange head and the rest of its body was brown armour.

The two monsters disappeared in a tornado before forming a new monster. A huge brown ball with blue armoured legs and arms (1900/3000)

"I'll play this in defence mode along with Avian and Sparkman and end my turn!" Jaden declared before Mario drew a card.

"I gain 500 life points because of solemn wishes"

Mario's life points: 6700

"Now I'll summon another Inpachi and then sacrifice another 1000 life points to summon and sacrifice a Giant Rat for Wood Borg Inpachi in attack mode!" A giant rat appeared on his side of the field before it was instantly crushed beneath the newly formed Woodborg inpachi (500/2500)

Mario's life points: 5700

"By the way you should know that because of the defusion and polymerization cards you activate last turn Magical marionette now has three spell counters on it" He grinned as the puppet in magical marionettes hand grew a brighter red "And if I remove two spell counters I can destroy a monster on your side of the field…which will be Mud ball man"

"No!" Jaden exclaimed in fear as the puppet in marionettes hand flew at Mud ball man and tied him up with the puppet strings.

"Mud ball!" he was cut off as Mud ball man was sliced into clean chunks by the puppet wires. His heart sank. He had failed to save a Hero from death.

"How sad that one Hero really did have to die…" Mario murmured before applauding sarcastically "Oh well he won't be alone soon…Marionette attack!"

"I play Junior Confrontation!" Jaden yelled out his body still shaking, a card with two kids on it fighting each other with game controllers stuck in their back was flipped.

"This card negates Marionettes attack and then makes the monster with the lowest attack on your side of the field attack the monster with the lowest defence on my side of the field.

Mario monsters: Two Inpachi's in defence (1600/1900), Marionette in attack (3000/1000), Woodborg Inpachi in attack (500/2500)

Jaden smirked "So that means you have to attack avian with Woodborg inpachi" The machine began to move toward Avian at a slow pace. Avian straight away knocked the machine backwards with one hand.

Mario's life points: 5200

Mario growled at Jaden as Woodborg was forced backwards, "I end my turn"

Jaden drew a card before smiling, he felt his heart warm as he looked at Fusion recovery, he would be able to bring back one of his elemental heroes, "I play Fusion recovery to bring back a polymerization card to my hand along with elemental hero clay man to my hand which I'm now going to combine with Sparkman!"

The two heroes leapt into the air as Jaden played the cards forming into a new monster. It was a huge giant covered in purple and yellow armour and had a circle on its chest which sparked with electricity. (2400/1500)

"This is elemental hero Thunder Giant now I can destroy any monster whose original attack is less than Thunder Giants!" Marionette was struck down by a huge lightning bolt leaving its smoking puppet carcass behind.

"And now I'll attack Woodborg with Thunder Giant!" The giant put both hands together and charged a lightning bolt in between its hands.

"No you won't" Mario declared as a trap card flipped up "I play the trap card Ready for Intercepting to put your thunder giant into face down defence mode" as the face down card revealed itself Thunder Giant disappeared into a face down position card.

Jaden looked at his hand, he had a strategy but it was all down to luck, if he didn't draw the right cards then he would be finished, "This is bad I have no card in my hand except for this…but I'll play it anyway Mirage of Nightmare!" his hand was now completely empty. It was all riding on this next turn.

Mario smirked before drawing a card, Jaden was already prepared as he draw four cards "Mirage of nightmare lets me draw four cards from my deck so long as next turn I can send four cards to the graveyard at random" The card was a strange weakened looking man surrounded by ghost like creatures. It was risky but it was now his only option.

Mario just shook his head "Well first let us not forget I have 500 life points more thanks to solemn wishes"

Mario's life points: 5700

"Now I'll play premature burial which will bring back the Inpachi in my graveyard" Inpachi rose from the earth the monsters all glaring down at Jaden.

Mario's life points: 4900

"Now I'll sacrifice 500 life points to summon another giant rat but he's not going to be out long…"

Mari's life points: 4400

The rat appeared on the side of the field in between the machines.

"I now play cost down by discarding one card from my hand I can reduce the level of all monsters in my hand by 2 levels! So when I sacrifice giant rat I can summon Perfect Machine King!"

The same robot appeared as the Giant Rat disappeared in a cloud of smoke. It opened its missile launchers prepared to strike.

"And remember he gets 500 attack power for every machine minus himself"

Jaden froze as he watched the machine draw power from all the Inpachi cards on Mario's side of the field. The machine looked even more menacing than before as it stood glowing in the aura of the machines on Mario field. (4700/1500)

"Now I'm going to switch all my monsters to attack mode!" Mario laughed as all three of the Inpachi's rose to their feet. Woodborg poised ready to ram into Jaden full force.

"And now I'll attack your face down thunder giant with my first Inpachi!" (1600/1900)

The Inpachi jumped into the air before coming down on the face down card. Thunder giant appeared under its huge wooden legs, its body broken in half.

"Now my next Inpachi will attack your Avian!"

The second Inpachi crushed him under a sphere like fist. Jaden turned away retching at the sight of his cards being killed in front of him, now he was getting angry, now he could feel the rage build up inside of him.

"Then I'm going to attack you with the third inpachi, woodborg and Perfect machine king!"

500 + 1600 + 4700 6800

Jaden turned as he watched the machine's loom over him. Woodborg slammed full force into him sending him to the ground sprawled out.

Jaden's life points: 7300

The next Inpachi punched him straight in the chest with a wooden fist sending him flying backwards again.

Jaden's life points: 5700

Jaden groaned in pain as he got up slowly. His body ached but his was not going to die yet. He had to avenge his heroes. He didn't pause not even when Perfect Machine King fired a barrage of missiles which exploded around him.

Jaden's life points: 1000

He felt it. Hot shrapnel embedded in parts of his body. It hurt; it was unimaginable pain that burned hot metal into his skin. He reeled and let out a cry of pain. But he didn't care. He was too mad to care. He wanted revenge, he clenched his fists tight.

"How are you enjoying the pain?" Mario asked with a wide smirk on his face.

"This…" Jaden murmured "This…is for my Heroes" he felt blood dripping down his hand from the metal embedded in his shoulder. But that didn't stop him from drawing and discarding four cards even if some of them were soaked with blood. He knew exactly what he had got left to play.

Jaden smirked at Mario a fire lighting up in his eyes "I've discarded Elemental hero's blade edge and wild heart, my Hero kid and my magic card Heated H to the graveyard but it doesn't matter because I got Miracle Fusion!" He played the magic card down onto the field with a growl his fists clenched.

"And now I can fuse any elemental hero card from my graveyard! So I'm going to fuse elemental heroes' wild heart and blade edge to become elemental hero wild edge!"

A barbarian and a golden armoured robot creature appeared on the field before fusing into a barbarian looking man with a huge sword and gold armour on some parts of his body appeared. (2600/2300)

"That card can't beat me Jaden" Mario muttered under his breath as glared at the monster that was staring him down.

"It doesn't matter! Because first of all I'm going to use Wild edge's special ability to attack all your Inpachi monsters!"

Mario froze. Now he understood, "You're not going to try and destroy my Machine King…your going after my life points"

"Exactly now Wild edge destroy all his Inpachi's!" Jaden roared as the warrior drew his huge sword from its sheath and cut through the three inpachi's and woodborg.

Mario began to panic. That in total was 5100 points of damage to him and he only had 4400 life points. Any moment now he was going to feel the effect of it all, his life draining away.

"That's what you get for killing my heroes!" Jaden yelled his fists clenched. He was still bleeding. He now was able to realise that the shrapnel was embedded not only in his shoulder but in his leg and hip as well. But still he wouldn't care. This one had been too harsh he deserved this loss.

"Jaden…" Mario murmured clutching his chest "I'll confess why I killed people"

Jaden froze. This he hadn't expected. Why would Mario admit that all of a sudden? Then he remembered the image of the Ryan's head grafted on the axe of despair.

"I killed because of…her…" Mario motioned to the table that was now folding up back to the form of the female puppet with no legs and a crudely drawn face.

"I…I ate…their hearts…because it's part…of the ritual…to restore…Clarissa's body…she was caught in a car accident…they could only drag out half of her body…I found the shadow realm…I used it to make her corpse into a puppet…I just wanted her to live again" Mario looked at the ground clutching his shirt. Tears fell from his grey face. He sank to his knees.

Jaden didn't know what to do. He didn't expect Mario to come clean from him being beaten in a shadow game. Usually they would be cured of their curse or the game would simply end. There were times when they bet their souls, but he had never bet his soul.

"I'm sorry Clarissa…I'm sorry Jaden…I'm sorry all you children" He choked.

"Why are you telling me this?" Jaden called out to him feeling his body shake with confused emotions. He didn't know whether to hate him or not.

"Because…I'm dead" were the last words that came from Mario's mouth before he let out a strangled cry.

Jaden cried out as he watched the sight before him. Mari's head had just come clean off. And the murderer was right in front of him.

Elemental Hero Wild edge. His sword was covered in blood and he held Mario's head high like a trophy.

It was then Jaden knew as he lost consciousness.

He had just killed Mario.

----

Gah! Jaden's deck is reaaaaaaaaaally hard to write into a fanfic it takes ages wraps fingers up in bandages well that's the next chapter done. The next chapter takes us to England but that doesn't mean we haven't seen the last of Jaden and pals

Please review pleeeeease


	4. The Tables Turn

The night was quiet despite the heavy traffic in the roads. But this was what the busy city of Birmingham was like at night.

But Birmingham tonight was going to be home to something different, something that involved the sixteen year old Alistair who was currently walking home.

Al could be a sociable person most of the time. He could sometimes crack jokes, he could sometimes ask girls out, and he could sometimes be an open and warm person. But sometimes was appearing less and less recently.

He didn't question why he was keeping so much to himself recently, but he did. He couldn't help himself. It was as if he knew that all bonds should be broken sooner rather than later.

Hidden behind his hooded black shirt he kept walking down the empty streets of Birmingham. He slipped his pale hands out of his pockets and ran them through his dark hair.

"Tonight feels different" he murmured to himself before reaching into his pockets again and closing his hand around a metal crucifix he carried around with him. He didn't know why he needed something to reassure him he was going to be okay but he still felt he needed it.

He kept walking, the time passed. Perhaps half an hour went by. He only had five minutes walk left before he got home. Or so he thought. After more than five minutes he stopped walking as he realised there was a problem. He looked around him. He was sure that he had walked past the same closed shops more than twice. He also noticed how not one car had come past since he began walking.

He looked around. There was no one else on the streets, "What the…" he murmured to himself. Then he heard a noise, the sound of a beast like panting in his ears.

He snapped around in panic trying to find the source of the noise holding in a gasp of fright that threatened to break out. But he found the source of the noise. Sitting at his feet was a Black Labrador. It seemed normal enough, but perhaps a distinguishing factor about it was that its eyes were white. He had never seen a Black Labrador with such brilliant pearl coloured eyes.

"Hello there" He whispered down to the dog that wagged its tail before getting to its feet. It sniffed his feet for a moment before suddenly dashing off at an incredible speed.

"Woah there dog where's the fire?" He called out as the dog sprinted off, he ran after it out of impulse, but it was only a matter of moments before he suddenly started questioning how stupid he was being.

He didn't stop running however, because now he noticed where the dog had run off to, a dark alley between two shops that seemed to be unnaturally dark.

"Hello?" he called into the darkness unsure of what to do next. Keep walking or move towards the darkness?

But he had no time to actually answer the question. Something lashed out of the shadows, a blue hand that gripped his throat before dragging him into the shadows. He barely had any time to so much as choke a cry for help.

---

His head was pounding as Al awoke. He felt a bruise on the top of his head. The first thing he did was get up and grip the crucifix in his pocket between his fingers. He felt cold metal against his fingers and let out a sigh of relief before looking around. He could see nothing but endless black but he wasn't afraid so long as he held onto the crucifix in his pocket.

He gave out a yelp as suddenly bright light cut through the darkness. He shielded his eyes from the light as the room was lit up. Slowly however he managed to open his eyes. He observed the room he was in, a stone room lit up with not a trace of darkness or shadows, all except Al's shadow.

"My shadow wants to talk to me…right?" he called out his eyes narrowing on the shadow.

He would be lying to himself if he wasn't surprised by what happened next. His shadow crawled up from the floor, a perfect pitch black silhouette that mimicked his own body all except for his right arm in which hung a jet black duel disk.

"Well well you're a bit out of the ordinary aren't you?" The shadow asked a nonexistent grin on his face, "Usually by now they start screaming and asking God for help"

Al just scowled at the shadow his eyes shifting from the shadow to the duel disk that hung on his arm.

"I've seen one of those before" he spoke out to the shadow, "A duel disk? Why would a supernatural being like you need a duel disk?"

"Well you see kid out of all the games people play Duel Monsters seems to be the one where most people have no clue what their doing" The duel disk on his arm opened up to reveal the card zones and a total of eight thousand life points in blood red numbers.

"So many of our victims have been novices like you that have no idea what their doing…so it makes easy prey" he spoke before thrusting his free hand forward.

"Now you have two choices you play me in a game you know nothing about for the chance to have your life spared…or you forfeit in which you shall be torn apart by the shadow realm" The shadows voice was deep and dark and threatened to break every nerve in Al's body. But Al stood tall. He knew he only had one option.

"I accept"

The shadow chuckled before pointing at him with one arm, "Well allow me to give you a duel disk and deck before we begi-" The shadow was cut off as a light suddenly began to pour from Al's wrist. A silver metal suddenly began to form from his wrist into the shape of a duel disk. A deck appeared in the slot and a total of eight thousand life points appeared in the display.

"How did you do that?" The shadow exclaimed caught off guard by the sight.

"I don't know" Al replied his voice had a slight tone of humour in it as he held the duel disk in front of his face. Why didn't this faze him? He should be scared, terrified, he was in a strange place with no one to protect him. But yet though the question was important. He didn't care in the slightest, "But if you want to back out I'm sure the shadow realm won't mind 'tearing your body' to shreds as you put it?"

The shadow growled towards him. The smug little brat was too confident.

"You go first" He spoke with a little grin on his face at the shadow, "I want you to show me how to play"

The shadow growled again before drawing five cards. He picked one of them and slapped down the card against a card zone.

"I play Giant Orc in attack mode" A giant green orc with a club appeared from the darkness beneath their feet (2200/0) "Then I will play one card face down"

Al looked up at the Giant Orc. It growled at him just like the shadow and swung its club around its head roaring at him in a threatening matter.

It was unnatural. He had never seen a creature like it, and it made him laugh. A lot, he couldn't stop laughing in fact. He drew five cards from his deck before looking through the hand trying to contain burst of laughter.

"What's so funny?" The shadow called out its dark hazy fists clenched.

"I don't know I just expected monsters to be a little more scary than they actually are I'll play in attack mode the Insect Knight" (1900) Al slapped the card down without a moments pause before a creature than looked like a grasshopper appeared with a sword and shield in its hands.

"I play Torrential Tribute to destroy both are monsters because you summoned a monster!" The trap card flipped up on the shadows side of the field and a giant burst of blue energy enveloped both monsters, Al merely just chuckled as his monster was blown away.

"You don't trust me do you? You got rid of my monster even though it was less powerful than yours…" He grinned before playing two cards on the field "Two cards face down your turn"

The shadow drew another card "I play graceful charity" A card with an angel holding light in between it's hands appeared on the field "I now draw three cards and discard two to the graveyard before playing one card face down and one card in defence mode your move"

"Why my move shadow?" Al called out with another chuckle "Come on don't tell me you don't have another monster to attack me with? I'm wide open!" he said before drawing another card.

"I now play in attack mode Berserk Gorilla that must attack every turn!" A giant red gorilla appeared before shooting out a breath of flame at the defence card (2000/1000)

"You destroyed my Giant Germ when it gets destroyed-"

"500 life points are deducted from me and you can summon two Giant Germs….but your not going to are you?" He asked before coughing as a decaying sickness filled his lungs.

"You only have two don't you?" Al asked in between coughs.

Al's life point's: 7500

The shadow seemed taken back as another Giant Germ appeared on the field in place of the other one, a huge purple cell that pulsated with the feel of sickness. (1000/500)

"It's my turn…I sacrifice my Giant Germ for Beast of Talwar" The Germ disappeared without a trace before a black demon wielding two blades appeared in its place (2400/2150)

"Talwar attack his Gori-"

"I play Negate attack" The demon lunged but met with the trap card and the glowing barrier it produced.

"It stops your attack and ends your battle phase but don't worry because next turn I have to attack your Talwar don't I? Because of Gorilla's effect"

He drew a card from his deck before looking at Talwar and then the shadow, "I now play premature burial by reducing my life points by 800"

Al Life points: 6700

"I now play Mystical space typhoon from my hand to destroy your premature burial" The shadow slammed down the card, a storm was created over the premature burial card. Al just began to laugh maniacally in a response.

"No you won't I activate Magic Drain" A trap with a green demon like creature draining an old looking warrior flipped up "If you can discard a magic card from your hand you can destroy my premature burial…if not then I can negate mystical space typhoon"

His eyes narrowed on the shadow "I know why you won't because the magic cards in your deck are too valuable" The shadow seemed to look at its hand before shaking its head and sighing.

Insect knight emerged from the earth below poised for attack" Now I'll play my own mystical space typhoon to destroy the bottomless trap hole you have face down"

"What!" The shadow hissed as the same storm came and swept his card away with a fierce lightning bolt.

"You heard me the card you have face down is your bottomless trap hole which can send a summoned monster out of play but that isn't going to happen pal because I want to summon my Barrel Dragon!" The two monsters disappeared in a cloud of steam before a metal dragon with gun barrels for arms and a head appeared in their places.

(2600/2300)

"Now I flip three coins and if two of them land on heads I can destroy your monster" Three silver coins appeared in Al's hand before he threw them into the air. They all landed in a clutter on the floor. He grinned to himself before looking towards the Beast of Talwar.

"Two heads means your monster goes bye bye" He pointed at the creature before the dragon fired twice at the monster destroying it in a burst of explosions.

"Now attack shadow over there" He said with a little smirk before the dragon fired with the last remaining cannon at the shadow. The projectile crashed into the shadow engulfing it in a cloud of fire and smoke. Behind the cloud of destruction was the sound of the shadow wailing in pain.

Shadows life points: 5400

As the smoke cleared he looked towards the shadow. He was surprised as the shadow emerged clutching its chest with a gloved hand. One of the shadows legs had been blown apart.

"Bloody hell…are you ok?" Even if he was a shadow this thing clearly still felt pain. It snarled at him before drawing another card from its deck.

"I now play my own premature burial card to bring back a giant germ which I then sacrifice to summon another monster"

Shadows life points: 4600

The card was played again and the germ rose from the ground before exploding into a shadow like mist before forming again into a new monster.

"I now play Dark Ruler Ha des" The creature was dressed in a strange yellow costume with a skull on the front of its chest. Its skin was blue and it had red eyes, in one hand it held a wine glass filled with red liquid.

(2450/1600)

"Dark Ruler makes all fiend monsters on the field gain the ability to negate the effects of monsters they destroy…I'll now play on Barrel Dragon…"

"Tribute to the doomed" Al answered for him as the shadow discarded a card to the graveyard to activate a card with a mummy wrapping up a man in bandages.

"It destroys one of your monsters by discarding a card to the graveyard" The same mummy appeared from out of the ground dragging the barrel dragon into the ground with him.

Al didn't blink twice at the sight. He more braced himself. He could almost feel the next attack about to take place.

"I now remove 3 fiend monsters from play to summon Dark Necrofear in attack mode"

The spirits of different fiends from his graveyard appeared from the ground and twisted into the form of a new monster. It was female. Despite it's looks. It had no hair, it was bright blue and had red eyes and wore silver armour. In its hands it held a wooden doll that had its head bashed in and was missing all its limbs other than one arm.

"Now I attack you with both of them"

Dark Ruler cackled as he lunged at Al throwing his wine glass at him causing it to break over the teens head. Necrofear then lunged at him and hit with in the chest with the wooden doll before causing him to keel over.

Al's life points: 2850

He was hurt badly. There was glass in his head and there was blood running down his face. And as for being hit by that doll he felt an abnormal bruise form under where the doll had hit him. But he stood up. He was still confident he could win…

He drew a card "I now play Kelbek in attack mode"

Kelbek appeared in a burst of light, it was a strange looking machine that was light brown and looked slightly like a satellite except it had two arms and an arrow like head. (1500/1800)

"This card when attacked returns the cards that attack it to the owners hand at the end of the damage step" Though he read the effect proudly he paused. He had made an error. Because of the dark ruler Kelbek's effect would not activate. He would be dead by the end of the battle phase.

"I…I play two cards face down too" He called out a trickle of fear running down his back.

The shadow seemed to acknowledge this as he clicked his fingers. The two fiend monsters began to laugh in unison on his command, mind games; this was just what Al needed.

"I will now attack your Kelbek with Dark Necrofear" He announced before the monster lunged at Kelbek. The doll in her hands suddenly flying out of her grasp and shooting towards Kelbek with its hand outstretched, a ball of blue fire emerging from the palm of its one arm and shooting out at Kelbek.

"I'm afraid not…" He muttered with a smirk as one of the cards flipped up and revealed two cylinder objects with question marks on them.

"Magic cylinder takes the attack from Necrofear and deals the damage to you directly" The shadow gasped before crying out as it's body was enveloped with blue fire as one cylinder transported the flame to the other and right back at the shadow.

Shadows life points: 2400

It writhed in pain but seemed more angered than hurt.

"God why do you want to do this you're in pain? And what the-" Al was cut off as he watched the shadow emerge from the flames. Its body was now whole. It was a throbbing, bleeding mass of burnt blue flesh with veins running over its face and beady red eyes. This was the true form of his attacker this was the creature that had pulled him into the shadows.

The shadow creature slowly began to point towards Al; blood was dripping from the burned flesh of his body. His red eyes narrowed on Al before his fist clenched.

"Because in the end it's worth it Dark Ruler Attack!"

The dark ruler lunged again this time charging darkness into the skull robe he wore and sending a blast of energy from the skull mouth. It was about to hit Kelbek…when it met with a shield.

"I now play the card Draining shield it works like Magic Cylinder but in reverse as it negates your attack and adds the attack of your monster to my life points"

Al's life points: 5300

"I'll…Ill end my turn" The creature growled at him its fists clenched.

Al sighed before drawing a card "I play two cards face down before sacrificing my Kelbek to summon Horus Black Flame Dragon level 6 to the field"

Two cards appeared face down before Kelbek disappeared behind black flames. A new monster appeared. It looked like a bird with a metal body its beak opened to breath a small flicker of black flame.

(2300/1600)

"And I'll attack your Necrofear!" The bird dragon opened its beak again and shot out a huge blast of dark fire which engulfed Necrofear minus the puppet it held in its arms.

Shadow's life points: 2300

"Now your dragons mine…I now use Necrofear as an equip card to seize control of Horus level 6!" The untouched doll flew at the dragon placing a hand on the dragons head. The dragon began to twist and turn as if struggling before suddenly the creature began to take a few steps towards the shadows side of the field, its eyes now blue.

"I don't think so…" Al murmured. Horus disappeared behind a barrier of black flame. A new beast suddenly began to rise from behind it. Something that was much bigger.

It was like Horus except its head looked more dragon than bird. It also now had arms and its body was more than three times the size of the last dragon.

(3000/1800)

"This is Horus the Black Flame Dragon level 8" Al spoke proudly with a wide smirk on his face "He has the ability to negate any spell card I want to negate"

"Why the hell should that matter?" The wounded creature asked blood splattering over his black duel disk as he talked.

"Well it doesn't really I just thought you should know…oh and by the way since I sacrificed Horus level 6 Necrofear goes to the graveyard with him" he spoke with a little smirk.

"Surely that can't be allowed!" The creature snapped at Al who just laughed at the look on his scarred vein filled face.

"Well I got to admit you nearly got me but you see considering one of the conditions of the Horus level up is that if it's equipped with equip cards I'm going to be able to a sacrifice it at the end of the turn and get rid of the equip card it's original form was equipped with….yeah I'd say it's fair" Al said with another laugh cracking his knuckles.

"Now it's your turn and be warned if you don't come up with something that has over 3000 attack points then you'll be killed in the next turn" he spoke the cheerful look now wiped of his face as the shadow drew another card.

Now the shadow was shaking. This was not how it was supposed to be. Mario had duelled with a kid and killed him in minutes. He had been informed this was the best way to defeat the children in the shadow realm. Why did this kid seem to know everything about his deck and strategies? Why couldn't he kill this kid!

"It's my move and now I'll take your advice and sacrifice Dark Ruler to summon something twice as powerful!"

The dark ruler howled with laughter as dark flame surrounded his body. His creature did not cry out or even give a choke of pain as the flame engulfed him before red armour suddenly attached itself to Dark Ruler's limbs and body.

A creature was being made out of Dark Ruler. A creature complete covered with red armour, parts of it's chest and biceps a dark blue colour while white strands of hair appeared out of it's knuckles and head. Its head was a helmet with two horns and a yellow pearl in between its menacing eyes.

"This is Great Maju Garzett and when I tribute summon him his attack power becomes twice the power of the original monster I used to sacrifice him" The shadow smirked as the creature glowed with a dark aura.

(4900/0)

"Now Great Maju Garzett attack his Horus dragon!" The shadow commanded as the demon knight grabbed the dragon by the head and raised it's free hand back to punch its head clean off.

"Yes kill him!" Shadow yelled out fighting through the pain of his burning body as he laughed maniacally.

But the monster never finished its attack. It was stopped by a pain deep in its stomach. The pain grew and grew until it became a fierce burning sensation. It howled in agony letting go of Horus and clutching its chest. The shadow had stopped laughing and now stared at his monster as its body began to smoke.

"W…what's happening?"

A trap card on Al's side of the field had been flipped up "The cards called Blast Held by a Tribute" Al announced as the trap card revealed a man holding a strange flesh covered bomb that looked like it was about to explode.

"This card can be activated when a tribute summoned monster attacks…when it does it gets destroyed by the bomb planted inside the tribute monster and with it you lose 1000 of your life points" Al explained the effect with a smirk on his face as he watched the shadow begin to back away as his monster writhed and struggled. He was trying to suppress the bomb.

"Die" Al muttered before the creature exploded scattering chunks of armour, bits of flesh and splattered the floor with blood. As for the shadow he received a lesser punishment as he was thrown back from the blast of the bomb.

Shadows life points: 1300

"Now it's my turn" Al drew one card before looking towards the shadow who was now shivering in fear as the Horus dragon now towered over him it's mouth opened prepared to fire a jet of searing black flame all over him.

"You want to know Shadow?" Al called out his expression calm as he walked over to the side of his huge monster, "You want to know why I knew you're every move?"

The shadow looked towards him and nodded slowly unable to speak.

"Because for one thing I knew about duel monsters from the start I'm no novice" Al spoke the words with a grin on his face watching the burned face of the shadow creature look towards him shocked.

"And two you're using my old fiend deck Horus…ATTACK!" He yelled his eyes narrowed on the shadow the dragon threw back its head a ball of black flame growing in its mouth.

"Grand Black Flame Inferno!" He declared the attack not caring that he made it up on the spot. The dragon sent a wave of black flame over the Shadow, the sounds of his pain only urging it on as he was disintegrated in the wave of black flame.

Al looked over the inferno before looking up at his monster. Should he feel guilty that he had just taken a life? Should he weep and swear never to do it again? Was he going to need to start feeding Horus? Just what the hell did a Black Flame Dragon eat?

But for now he knew just what to do. Watch his dragon in its finest moment before turning to the charred corpse of his enemy before murmuring….

"Get your own cards thief

----

Well then another chapter done…and I believe it's time again to go visit duel academy don't you? Please review


	5. The Heroes Guilt

Syrus frowned as he looked up at his friend lying on the top bunk bed. Jaden was staring at the ceiling his eyes wide, he hardly blinked.

The school had thought it to be a miracle they had found Jaden after having an encounter with the shadow realm. An hour after Jaden had disappeared he had reappeared in the same place he had vanished.

People had thought it to be a miracle but the real miracle was that Jaden was still alive. After he had been found he was immediately rushed to the infirmary. No one knew why Jaden had shards of metal embedded in his body or why he had huge bruises all over his chest. No one questioned it; the only important thing was keeping Jaden alive as they flew in doctors and medical equipment.

It had taken him more than a week to cover and during it had said nothing. Syrus noticed it, he noticed how Jaden wasn't eating properly or sleeping at night. He noticed how his friend would not smile or laugh with him or even respond when he talked to him.

But one thing that Syrus noticed was that the moment Jaden had awoken up he had taken his deck and left it in the infirmary. He never went back for his deck, Syrus had taken it to keep it safe but he was sure that if he gave it Jaden then he would just leave it somewhere else maybe even rip it to pieces.

"Jaden?" Syrus asked his friend looking up at him "Aren't you going to get up? The doctors said that some fresh air and exercise would be good for you?"

Jaden didn't reply. He merely blinked as he stared at the ceiling. Syrus sighed, "Jaden are ever going to talk to me?"

Jaden didn't reply again. Syrus paced around the room in frustration trying to think of a way to make his friend respond.

"Hey why don't we go find Bastion or Bastion and have a tag team duel with-" Syrus paused as he watched Jaden suddenly lurched and curl up.

"Jaden don't you want to duel?" Syrus asked watching again as Jaden shuddered at the very mention of the world duelling.

"What's wrong Jaden? What happened in that place?" Syrus asked his eyes full of concern. Jaden began to slowly sit up on the bed. He was breathing heavily, a bead of sweat formed and fell from his face.

"He…killed…him" Jaden choked slowly before clutching his stomach and letting out a groan of discomfort.

"Jaden you spoke!" Syrus exclaimed the actual words not registering at first. The smile on his face vanished.

"Wait who killed him?" Syrus asked before Jaden let out another groan of discomfort.

"Okay we can talk about it later for now you need some food" Syrus said his eyes narrowed on Jaden now determined so see that his friend was going to get up and start acting like his old self.

"Come on get up Jaden" Syrus said climbing the ladder of the bunk bed and taking Jaden by the shoulder and pulling him towards the ladder. He obeyed and followed Syrus down the ladder and out of their room however his eyes were now stuck on the ground.

He couldn't stop thinking about it. Wildedge holding Mario's head over him, that wasn't one of the Heroes that he had always put his trust in.

---

"So he's been liked this every since he came back from that place?" Bastion spoke to Syrus from across the lunch table. He was a mature person with dark hair and wore a yellow uniform. He looked towards Jaden who was now eating his lunch very slowly with his eyes fixed on the table.

"Yeah I don't know what to do with him"

"Has he said anything since he came back?"

"One thing…" Syrus paused recalling the words of Jaden "He said 'he killed him'"

"Jaden said he killed someone?" Bastion asked an eyebrow raised, but he had no idea what saying that sentence would cause.

Jaden suddenly snapped, he threw his arm forward and knocked all the food off his lunch tray to the floor. He buried his head in his arms his body shaking. The sound of him sniffling was heard behind his arms.

Bastion starred at Jaden eyes wide. Syrus looked from Jaden to Bastion with the same shocked expression, "Erm…no Jaden didn't say HE killed someone he said 'he killed someone' as in someone else killed someone"

The two of them sat in silence for a moment before looking towards Jaden, "Then why would Jaden react like that…" Bastion began before his eyes suddenly widened "Unless…"

Jaden suddenly sat up and ran from the lunch table and out of the cafeteria, the sound of Syrus calling after him ringing in his ears. But he did not go back.

----

Jaden had run as far away as he could from the academy. He now sat on the edge of a cliff dangling over the sea that crashed against the rocks. His hands were shaking he felt like crying but did his best to suppress it. He couldn't stop thinking about it. The head, the blood that gushed from it and how his elemental hero was proud of his kill!

"Your not supposed to kill people…you were a good guy" Jaden whispered. He was sat on the ground his knees brought up to his chest, "What can I do? I love this place I don't want to leave…but if I stay there's going to be more of those shadow games…I can't take that"

"But you've always come out of them okay" A voice spoke behind him. Alexis was stood looking over him with a soft gaze. Jaden turned away from her but Alexis still sat down beside him.

"You saved them you know" She spoke looking out towards the ocean "Gale and Syrus…if they had been dragged into the shadow realm who knows what may have happened"

Jaden didn't reply he merely looked at the ground his arms still hugging his knees.

"Would you really have wanted them to have gone in instead of you?" She asked quietly "Would you prefer it if Syrus felt how you felt right now?"

Jaden thought over the question. Of course he wouldn't, Syrus's roid cards were innocent he knew that Syrus would probably break down if he saw Mario be crushed to death by his cartoon train steamroid.

"And if that guy did to Syrus what he did to that poor boy how would you feel then?" Alexis asked looking at Jaden from the corner of her eye, "I don't know what happened there…but you should be glad that you went instead of Syrus and Gale…just think at least you came back alive"

Alexis was smart and she was right, it was better that he went instead of Syrus. But he couldn't stop himself from thinking about that card, the last move that ended Mario's life, "But…" he croaked "Now I wish…"

Alexis looked towards Jaden her eyes filling with concern as she watched Jaden tremble.

"But now…but now…cause of that…I'm a murderer" Jaden choked burying his head into his knees.

Alexis's face twisted in shock, "Jaden how can you say such a thing? You would never kill anyone!"

"I did I killed Mario I made Wildedge attack in the shadow game!" He cried.

"Shadow game?" Alexis asked tenderly.

"Mario duelled me…he said that only one of us could leave…I just went along with it…and I won with Elemental Hero Wildedge" The name of the card caused his body to tremble more fiercely than before "And then he killed Mario he took off his head in one swipe"

"And now I've killed him! And now I wish I was dead!" he yelled out, Alexis's jaw dropped as she watched Jaden break down. He began to shout into his knees that it was his fault, muffled cries of regret.

How could he say that? How could he want himself dead? The pain inside her heart flared up inside her she felt herself tense. How could Jaden of all people? The happy energetic person she always admired go and say that?

"I killed him it was me I killed him!"

"Jaden…" Alexis spoke softly "You didn't kill him Wildedge killed him"

"Yes I did I ordered-"

"No you didn't you were playing a game for your life it was survival!" Alexis snapped at him her fists clenched her eyes narrowing. Jaden looked up from his legs his eyes swollen from the tears he had tried to suppress.

"But I-

"No listen to me Jaden you didn't know that Wildedge would kill him when you ordered him to attack you thought it was just like every other shadow game! And yes he did die but do you think if you had let him live he would have done the same for you?" She asked his voice rose before she looked back at the ocean.

"He would have come back for more victims he would have killed more people" she clenched her fists tighter "Do you want anything to happen to us?"

Jaden starred towards Alexis his mouth hung open slightly "Do you think we would want anything to happen to you?"

"Do you think I want anything to happen to you?" Alexis asked now turning towards Jaden a small soft smile on her beautiful face.

Jaden turned away. He slowly shook his head, "But he was killing to bring back someone he cared about"

"That doesn't make it right" She spoke softly. Jaden didn't reply. He was too busy thinking it all over in his head.

"Don't hate yourself or your deck Jaden hate the shadow realm" She said leaving him in total silence.

A few minutes of silence went by. Jaden was still thinking.

_But it is my fault in the end isn't it?_

His thoughts however were interrupted as he felt something tighten around him. Alexis had pulled him into a hug resting her head against his.

"Listen Jaden you wouldn't want to kill anyone but in that case life was being unfair you had no choice" She spoke softly into him. He felt himself relax in the warm embrace. He felt the guilt slowly slip away.

"So are you going to keep duelling?" She asked with a smile on her face as she ruffled his brown hair. He nodded against her with a smile.

"Good cause we don't want you gone" she said letting go of him slowly and smiling warmly at him.

Jaden chuckled and nodded again before looking out towards the ocean.

"Can you do me a favour?"

"Sure" Alexis said with a nod.

"If I ever go mad like that every again…can you hug me like you just did?"

A blush erupted over Alexis's face but she managed to nod. Jaden turned back to her before grinning at her a little blush in his cheeks.

----

"So Jaden Yuki duelled a tormenter?" The wise but childish voice of Maxamillion Pegasus asked as he sat at his grand wooden table. His long silver hair hung over half of his face to conceal where his millennium eye had once been.

The night was quite at his mansion. He was dressed in a red smoking jacket and had a glass of red wine in his right hand while in his left were five duel monster cards. He was currently playing his guest. A woman with brilliant pale skin and dark locks of hair that hung over her face. She was wearing a long black hooded cloak.

"Yes and so has Alistair Noir" She spoke her voice pure and wise as she tapped her fingers against the table. Pegasus currently had Toon World on his side of the field and a Blue Eyes Toon dragon (3000/2500) while she had a Feral Imp (1300) and curse of dragon (2000) on her side of the field and a face down card.

Pegasus life points: 3500

"How are they? Are they hurt?" Pegasus asked "I attack you with blue eyes toon dragon while giving up 500 of my life points"

Pegasus life points: 3000

"Jaden was emotionally scarred from the duel he's never seen so much blood and killing The Tormentor was clearly too much for him…and I'm going to activate Wabakou to reduce your damage to nothing" she put the trap card in her graveyard before drawing a card.

"Well played….and what about Alistair?" He asked.

"He surprised me…he grinned, he laughed he didn't even feel a bit of remorse" She said with a small chuckle as she looked at the card "I sacrifice feral imp to summon a summon skull" (2500/1200)

"He has the mind of a killer"

"No he has the mind of a weapon to defeat Tormentors"

She put down a magic card on her side of the field "I play Gift of the Martyr which lets me send curse of dragon to the graveyard and power up Summon Skull by half its attack power" (3500/1200)

"So what do we do next then?"

"I'll gather my troops and you gather yours…you realise were going to be needing your companies to produce some new cards for our troops" she pointed at blue eyes toon dragon "attack then I'll play one card face down"

Pegasus life points: 2500

"I understand…but you should know something" Pegasus said in a quiet tone as he drew a card from his deck, he looked towards his guest who awaited his next move.

"I'll play Black Illusion Ritual to summon relinquished (0/0) that will take your summoned skull raise it's stats to the same amount of points" (2500/1200) He looked towards her again, she was now waiting for his news.

"Last Friday one of my company's factories vanished"

"Vanished?" She asked cocking her head to one side confused.

"Into thin air…there is only a crater where it once stood and in the centre of it are the bodies of its employees"

"So while were making new cards to fight the Tormentors"

"The Tormentors are doing the same…they've recognised that were putting duellists amongst their prey to trick them into duelling them…now I attack with relinquished"

"I activate Hallowed life barrier and discard one card from my hand to the graveyard to reduce your damage to 0 but because I discard Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World (1600/1300) it can be special summoned in attack mode" The woman explained the effect but she seemed more focused on what he had just said.

"Surely there not going to try and attack duel academy like Mario? That's the worst idea considering not all the Tormentors are professionals at the game"

"There doing it because duel academy is full of warriors blood"

"Warriors blood?" she asked as she drew a card from her deck

"They were once rewarded for their kills in the shadow realm but recently the shadow realm itself has been…changing the rules"

"What do you mean?" she asked before looking through her hand

"I sacrifice my Vanguard of Dark World to summon Zaborg the Thunder Monarch (2400/2000) that allows me to destroy your relinquished when it's summoned" She explained before Pegasus put relinquished in the graveyard.

"Nice move….and what I mean is that my sources say that one Tormentor with an archfiend deck tried to duel a kid who had never played the game and kill him in the shadow realm…the shadow realm cut the Tormentor in two and left the boy"

"So the shadow realm is now only accepting people who know how to play the game its even odds"

"So their now going to kill duellists for their plans" Pegasus said as he sipped his wine slowly.

"Excellent" She said licking her lips "We'll be there to fight them when they do…now I play Electro whip on Zaborg to increase his attack to 2700 and attack"

Pegasus merely smiled "You win…and your new deck shall be made for you tomorrow morning"

The guest smiled in return before picking up her cards and bowing politely "Thank you Pegasus I can't wait to try it out before I meet little Al…good night friend" she said with a small smile before walking out of the room.

"Goodnight my queen" Pegasus replied with the same small smile.

---

Hmmm well there we go…may as well warn you now that things are gonna head more in the direction of the duels so there's going to be a few card games that some people may not enjoy….however don't count it out yet because I do plan on putting the usual violence in it everyone likes…anyway keep reading please enjoy

(ps. Yet again I made a mistake with the last chapter and the beast of talwar….my bad)


	6. Her Majestys Guard

Al lay on his bed with a small smirk on his face. He wasn't like Jaden, he wasn't going to shut himself up and morn the death of such an evil creature, but it wasn't to say that he didn't feel guilt. He was repressing it behind every smirk and chuckle he made.

He rose from his bed slowly and turned to the door of his one room apartment. He was a runaway. After a life time of marriage his parents divorced only a week after his 16th birthday. The sheet of paper that told everyone who he had chose to live with dangled in front of his face on the sad Friday night. And he ran. He ran as far away as possible.

And now here he was. In one bedroom apartment paid for by the money sent by both parents, attending school everyday pretending his life wasn't as empty as it was. Sometime he would call his mum or dad and talk with them, but he would never tell them he was going to come home.

"You there boy?" he called out to the dark shadows of his room. He had heard the sound of a dogs whimper.

"Want to go for a walk?"

There was no reply. The dog didn't even appear, but Al still got to his feet putting on a tattered black hood and grabbing his keys before leaving his lonely apartment.

---

There were few parks near where Al lived and usually the ones that did exist were the ones people got mugged, beaten and killed in. But today Al had taken that risk, and it had been a success as he entered the completely empty park with its grass a dark green and a large pond in the centre of it. Sure it was more pond than park but that wasn't important.

Al enjoyed sitting down on the park bench in front of the pond, and though some may say it was sad that he was all by himself, Al knew he wasn't entirely alone.

He could hear the sound of the dog right now in his ears; he knew that the Black Labrador was nearby.

"Come on boy I know your there!" He called out with a loud chuckle grinning.

Sure enough the dog raced out from under the bench he sat on and bounded full speed around the pond. It rolled on the grass and sniffed the nearby trees. It did everything a dog would do.

But he knew that the dog was far from normal. He knew the dog wouldn't come to visit him just to act cute. Its brilliant white eyes told him that every time, even as he watched as it began to lap at the water of the pond.

And then it suddenly happened. Two arms shot out from the pond water and wrapped around the dog. It yelped struggling but the grip was too strong.

Al was on his feet already calling out and running towards the side of the pond where a body suddenly emerged from the pond carrying the dog in its arms.

"Are you Al?" The body spoke from under the hooded cloak it wore.

Al stopped in front of it his fists clenched and teeth bore like the dog that the stranger held.

"I'm Al what's it to you? Now let the dog go!" He snarled at the stranger before lashing out at the darkness of the hooded cloak.

The stranger took a step back simply dodging the punch, Al kept swinging again and again but the stranger merely dodged again and again. He let out a yell before throwing himself at the figure.

He met with nothing but air before he then fell into the pond water face first into its cold muddy depths.

He stood up soaked, dirty and angry wiping his eyes and searching for the attacker. And then he saw it, and he chuckled.

The attacker was now standing in the middle of the pond perfectly on its surface.

"Al you're quite the interesting little boy you know? You've come into contact with things that would rattle the very human mind but still you laugh it off" The figure spoke the voice more clear than ever.

"I guess I'm just that kind of guy" he laughed, though truthfully inside he felt a prick of fear swell. If he had to kill this one he would have to. He didn't want to have two heads on his conscience.

"Al I'm going to make you a deal I'll give you the dog if you beat me in a duel monsters card game…but don't worry it won't be as brutal as that mean shadow game that evil creature made you play"

He shuffled on the spot nervously before pacing, he noticed how the voice was sounding sweeter, more feminine.

"And what if I don't want to?" He asked his eyes narrowing as he stopped pacing.

"I drown your doggy" The hooded figure said in a threatening tone before lifting the now silent Black Labrador before her. It began to hover in mid air threateningly low over the pond.

"So you want me to play you in a card game? What's the catch?" He asked. He knew already he would accept no matter what the consequences were; he didn't want to see the dog drowned. Already a light was building on his wrist forming into the same duel disk as before.

"If you win you get the dog back but if I win then you'll become my slave" The hooded figure chuckled as the words were said.

Al merely raised an eyebrow "You dig younger men or something old lady?"

The hooded figure's head snapped up at the mention of the world old. The figure tore down the hooded cloak to reveal the angry face of a beautiful black haired woman.

"You little prick I ain't old I'm only 25!" She snapped at him her ruby eyes narrowed down on him. She was dressed in a black leather jacket with a red shirt. She also wore a small black skirt over baggy black trousers.

"And hot nice rack you got there" He commented a goofy grin suddenly spreading over his face as her eyes widened as she stared at him a little blush running through her cheeks.

"Little pervert you should be more-" She paused her face going blank, "Wait…how did you know I was a woman?"

"I didn't I just knew either way it would get rid of that stupid cloak" He chuckled putting both hands on his hips and grinning widely. They had been talking for less than five minutes and already his enemy had fallen into one of his mind games.

"Little prick…" She snarled at him before outstretching her arm a gold duel disk forming on it. It would have looked out of place if not for the red jewels embedded in the wrist band.

"So tell me scary lady what's your name?" He called over to her enjoying the look of anger on her face as she glared at him.

"My names Axiss future queen of England" She spoke proudly punching her fist in the air and smirking at him.

"Axiss? What type of name is that for a girl?" He asked ignoring the part about her being queen of England and yet again enjoying the woman's reaction as she clenched her fist.

"Just shut the fuck up and duel me you little prick!" She snapped before drawing five cards. He did exactly the same.

Axiss life points: 8000

Al's life points: 8000

Al looked through his cards grinning at the hand "I play Insect Knight in attack mode and one card face down" The same insect appeared swinging its blade through the air before flipping on the spot. (1900)

"Your turn" he called out to her.

Axiss merely sniggered at the insects stupid jumping before slapping a card down on her duel disk, "I play Lunar Queen Elzaim in defence mode"

A small patch of light appeared on the surface of the pond before suddenly an angel looking creature with chestnut brown hair appeared (750/1100)

"Wait I know that monster…its just a normal monster no effect why would you…" Al's voice trailed off as he answered his own question, "A trap card right? You plan on making me attack your Queen in order to activate a nasty trap card"

Axiss merely smirked "Actually wrong…see this deck of mine is very special" she called out holding up her hand to the light and admiring the cards "Most of the cards have just been created by Maxamillion Pegasus himself with a whole heap of surprises you'll just love"

Now he was in trouble. This woman had just told him her deck was full of new cards. He wouldn't be able to plan ahead.

"So your mind games clever Al are not going to work on me" she said with a small wink.

"I could call you old-" he began but was interrupted as she slapped down a card forcefully.

"I play Her Majesty's Protectors Spark and Just" She called out the name before suddenly two beams of light appeared on the field and formed into two creatures.

One was made of a white liquid and had blue eyes and a crystal spear (1800/1200). The other was a white cylinder with two giant red arms and legs and a gold helmet (500/2000).

Al stared at the three monsters blinking dumbly, "Erm…how did you…"

"Before you ask when I have a monster that includes queen in it's name I can special summon a Queen Protector so long as it has the same attribute as the queen on the field" She looked at him her smile widening as he looked more confused by the moment.

"And you should know that Spark has the ability to be powered up by 200 for every card I have that includes queen in its name on my side of the field" She called out as the liquid creature sparked with sudden blue electricity that curled around its spear, (2000/1200)

"So now Just attack Insect knight!" She commanded and the liquid warrior threw the crystal spear at Insect Knight. It cut through the pond water speeding towards the bug like an arrow.

"I play Mirror force!" Al yelled out as a white force field suddenly appeared around the insect, "This will reflect your attack and destroy all attack position monsters"

The spear bounced off the barrier with a loud ping soaring back towards Spark who was immediately impaled before exploding into droplets of white liquid. Axiss didn't seem phased by the suddenly death of her monster and simply shrugged.

"No matter I play a card face down and end my turn" Axiss said placing the card down and smiling towards Al. Al merely grunted before drawing another card, "I now play Berserk Gorilla in attack mode!"

The red gorilla appeared on the pond side next to Insect Knight beating its chest and roaring in fury (2000/1000)

"And I play one card face down before attacking your queen with my Insect knight!" He pointed at the angel and the insect jumped off the pond side its sword raised above its head with a loud cricket screech. The sound of Axiss chuckling was heard before the creature was hammered into by Her Majesty's Protector Just.

"What the hell?" Al called out as Insect knight fell into the pond water shortly crawling out of it waving it's soaked body to dry itself off.

Al's life points: 7900

"When there is a queen monster on the field I can use Just's effect to use him to defend her so seeing as how he's in defence mode he'll defend her with 2000 defence points" She grinned at him before sticking her tongue out "…so as long as he's on the field you can't hurt my queen"

The guardian dusted its hands off standing before the angel with its fists clenched. The Berserk Gorilla roared at it before letting out a breath of fire towards the guardian. Just merely chuckled and blocked the breath of fire with both hands before returning to the same position at the queen's side. Axiss just stared blankly at him.

"What was the point in that?" Axiss asked scratching her head.

"Berserk Gorilla has to attack every turn I had no choice" He muttered crossing his arms, "25 yet your still dense"

She snarled at him her fists clenched asking herself why she had bothered with such a little prick before drawing a card.

"I now sacrifice my queen in order to summon another new card Queen of the Cooks!" The queen disappeared in a small burst of light before a ring of fire suddenly appeared in its place before a saucepan appeared over it. A woman with pink hair and wearing a chef's uniform appeared next to the saucepan with a giant fork in one hand. (2200/1500)

"This card has the ability to add one monster card to my hand so long as it's a fire element monster" She explained as she placed a new card in her hand from her deck.

"What's the point of that?" Al asked mimicking Axiss's earlier question in a mocking tone, she simply stuck her tongue out at him again.

"Well now I can special summon another protector can't I? I now summon Her Majesty's Protector: Hinotama!" She declared the ring of fire beneath the saucepan crackling before a small fireball with yellow eyes appeared by the Cooks side wearing a small helmet (1000/400)

"I'll play him in face up defence mode and because I special summoned him he inflicts 500 points of damage to your life points!"

The small fire ball spat a burst of flames towards Al. He didn't have time to yell out before the flame hit him in the chest setting alight to his black hood.

Al's life points: 7400

"Fuck it's on fire!" he yelped throwing off the tattered black hood. Axiss was now laughing to no end at Al's display as he stamped on the clothing repeatedly.

"Relax genius it's just a hologram" She said with a wide toothy grin as Al realised he was now stamping on his hooded Jacket for no reason.

"Yeah well…is the whole standing on water thing a hologram?" he asked glaring towards her as he put the trampled jacket back on.

"Nope that's real" she said with another chuckle as Al groaned, "Now where was I…oh yeah I attack with my Queen of Cooks!"

The female chef raced forward over the pond water before skewering the Insect Knight. It shattered into digital dust. Digital dust, no blood or guts just fragments of the image. He felt a little relief, now he knew for sure this wasn't a shadow game.

Al's life points: 7100

"One card face down and end my turn" she said with another grin while twirling a lock of her hair around her finger.

Al just drew another card his eyes narrowing a little, this woman was getting more and more annoying every minute. And he knew of course that she was just toying with him, "I now play one card in face down defence mode and then I'll play my Gorilla in defence mode"

The gorilla switched positions but then immediately blew up causing Axiss to yelp in surprise, he chuckled watching as she struggled to gain balance on the waters surface, "When Gorilla is in defence mode it's immediately destroyed….didn't scare you did I?"

"Shut up and make your move" she growled finally regaining her footing.

"Fine now I'll play one card face down and now…" He called out as the card appeared behind his monster "…It's your turn"

He looked towards her before smirking slightly his confidence growing. She merely muttered a curse under her breath before drawing a card and slapping it down, "Now I'll sacrifice my Hinotama protector to play…"

The ponds surface began to ripple a little beneath her feet "…Lady Queen of the Lake in defence mode"

Hinotama burst in an explosion of flame before the pond water suddenly opened up and a beautiful woman with long silver hair and a body made of water appeared, she had a red heart shaped gem in her chest appeared and was curled up on the ponds surface, (1500/2300)

"When this is summoned I get to add a water monster to my hand now I can summon Her Majesty's Protector: Volley!" The sound of a playful splash was heard as besides the water creature appeared a seal standing on its tail with a beach ball in between its flippers and wearing a silver helmet. (1300/800)

"And by discarding a water monster to the graveyard from my hand like my Water Lily Queen (300/300)" She placed the card in the graveyard; the seal began to spin the beach ball on its nose.

"This card can destroy a monster when it attacks without apply damage calculation!" She clicked her fingers before it jumped into the air and kicked the beach ball straight at the monster in face down defence mode on Al's side of the field.

"I play my Magical Cylinder card!" The same cylinder appeared and the ball flew into it before another cylinder appeared in front of Axiss and fired the same ball straight into her causing her to grunt a little from the impact.

Axiss's life points: 6700

"Well I'm not done I attack with my Chef!" She commanded chef threw the fork at the face down card. It flipped up and revealed a flying squirrel with beady eyes. It shattered under the fork with a little squeak of surprise.

"What the hell was that?" She called out an eyebrow raised.

"That was Nimble Momonga it lets me increase my life points by 1000 and summon two more from my deck!" He grinned wide as she frowned at him as leaves twirled around him and two more face down cards appeared.

Al's life points: 8100

He drew a card from his deck before grinning slapping the card down onto the field "And now that it's my turn I'm going to sacrifice them both for Barrel Dragon!" The two cards disappeared under a cloud of smoke before the metal dragon emerged on the pond side its cannons pointed at her monsters.

"I'll now activate its effect and flip a coin 3 times! If the coin lands on heads twice I can destroy your monster without needing to attack it" A coin appeared in the centre of the pond flipped into the air before landing on the ponds surface.

"Heads" He called out.

"I'm not blind!" she yelled out as the coin flipped again.

"Sorry mam Tails" he called out again chuckling as she growled in frustration.

It flipped up again before it landed on Heads, "Heads"

"I know!" She yelled out shaking her fist at him.

"Good now I'm going to destroy your Seal!" He said with a chuckle before the dragon pointed a gun at the seal and fired an orange burst at the creature. It disappeared behind an explosion shattering it to pieces.

"Now I'll attack your Majesty's Protector: Just!" The dragon fired again at the Cylinder creature the projectiles flying towards it at a fierce speed.

"I activate my Sacrifice for a loyal soldier card!" She yelled out revealing a trap card with a picture of a queen crying over a gravestone.

"By destroying one of my queens I can negate your attack so I'll destroy my Lady Queen of the Lake" The monster dived in front of the projectile exploding into a burst of blue light that shielded the cylinder knight.

"I play trap jammer!" He yelled out and a magic circle appeared around the barrier "With this I can negate any trap activated during the battle phase!"

The reaction was not one he was expecting as Axiss suddenly cheered and threw a fist into the air.

"I play…" She began as another trap card flipped up with a picture of a queen surrounded by secret agents, "Her majesty's secret service which allows me to activate any trap or magic card in my deck so long as a queen has been destroyed this turn so now I'll play my own trap jammer!"

The magic circle that had formed around the barrier merely shattered to pieces the barrel dragons attack barely causing a dent in the barrier that shortly faded away. Al stared blankly at the unharmed guardian that held up both of its arms in the same annoying victory pose Axiss did.

"Now it's my turn…" She called out as she drew a card from her deck before looking towards Al "By the way something I forgot to mention when Lady Queen of the Lake is destroyed I can bring a certain magic card to my hand"

She drew the card from her deck before hiding it in her hand with a teasing chuckle as if Al was trying to get a glimpse, he stared at her his eyes not changing from the scowl on his face.

"I sacrifice my Queen of the cooks and my Majesty's Protector: Just!" She yelled out as she slammed down the card onto the duel disk "In order to summon my Queens Noble Swords Woman in attack mode!"

The two monsters raised their fists in the air in the annoying victory pose before they disappeared in a stream of light which formed into a woman with long blonde hair that hung over one eye. Her armour was a pearl white colour and she carried a blue shield with a white emblem on it as well as a long silver sword. (2800/2400)

"This card has the ability to attack for every Queen card in the graveyard so that makes three times that she can attack!" She declared, Al swore under his breath before suddenly blinking dumbly.

Axiss had suddenly blanked out as if suddenly realising she had made a ftal error in her strategy, and then she took out her graveyard from her duel disk and looked it "Queen Elzaim, Queen of the cooks, Lady Queen of the Lake…yeah three times!"

Al almost felt like yelling out in frustration but merely hung his head and sighed shaking his head, "For someone so smart you needed to check?" Al muttered his arms crossed.

"Shut it I'm playing this on her Queens Radiant Excalibur!" She snapped at him before a magic card with a golden sword on the front being held by an angel wearing a crown appeared.

"This magic card can double the attack power of a monster with Queen in its name so long as my Lady Queen of the Lake is in my graveyard!"

"What!" Al yelled as the golden haired warrior raised its sword. It turned into the same sword on the card and her body glowed in a golden aura. (5600/4800)

"Come on there's got to be some negative effect to all of that! You can attack three times and get double the stats?" He yelled out trying to ignore the fact it didn't matter anyway considering he would lose by the end of the turn.

"True there is" She called out before tapping her feet together in a bored way watching the surface of the water ripple, "You see first of all I can only attack with my Queens Noble Swords Woman if she's the only monster on the field plus if your still standing by the time Excalibur's done it's damage then it's destroyed and I take damage equal to it's attack power"

"Oh come on!" He yelled out but was cut off by a yelp as the golden haired warrior leapt into the air and cut barrel dragon in two causing it to be engulfed in an explosion.

Al's life points 5100

"Queens Noble Swordswoman attack him directly!" She yelled out pointing at him, now he was pretty sure he hated this woman.

The warrior raised its sword again about to slice at Al. He braced himself for the impact the golden sword would make...

The woman slapped him.

"Ow!" He yelped and fell to the ground clutching his cheek.

Al's life points: 0

"Bitch…" he muttered as his life points hit zero glaring at the smug look on the warriors face as she faded away as the hologram ended.

"Had enough or do you want her to slap you again?" Axiss called out with a chuckle as she began to walk towards him over the pond water, the Black Labrador floating behind her still fast asleep.

"I don't care what deal I made I ain't being no ones slave" He muttered still rubbing his sore face. For a hologram that sure hurt.

"I don't expect you to be a slave but I do expect you to come along with me" Axiss spoke her tone now less cheerful and more serious as she looked towards him with emotionless eyes.

"Forget it" He muttered back now getting to his feet and dusting himself off.

"You're in danger Alistair do you know that?" She explained as she drew nearer to land, Al didn't reply.

"You are going to be hunted do by those things and one way or another they will kill you unless you come with me" she called out her tone softening a little.

"Where exactly would I go to?" He asked as he looked at her with the same emotionless gaze.

"Duel academy" she stated bluntly.

He blinked for a moment before looking at her in disbelief "Duel academy? I don't want to go to duel academy I'm not that obsessed with the game!" he exclaimed waving a fist about in frustration.

"You are going and that's final" She didn't growl or shout, she more stated that he was going. And it was from this he could tell already he was going to go no matter what.

"And what if I refuse?" He asked in a mumble looking at the ground in a defeated manner.

"Then me and my friends will hand you in to the police and you will be charged and sentenced for killing that Tormentor…we can give the police everything they need" She explained now stepping onto the land in front of him.

He looked up at her before sighing, "Fine but on one condition"

"Name it" He motioned to the sleeping dog that now lay at her feet.

"The dog comes too"

She smiled warmly at the comment before reaching forward and placing both hands on her shoulders and looking into his eyes with a warm laugh, "Oh Alistair the dog is essential in more ways than you'll know"

As she spoke the dog stirred on the floor before opening its brilliant white eyes and looking up at Al. It sat in silence looking up at Al. Al looked down at it a small glint of childish happyness in his eyes. The two cocked their heads before looking up at the sky. And then they both let out a long howl into the nights sky. This night was theres as of now. His and the dog that moved in the shadows.

----

Disclaimer: I don't own yugioh gx and all that jazz but I do own the characters I create and the cards I create for example all but one of the queen cards


	7. Unity or Collision?

Ok better say a few warnings mainly that there are some spoilers in this chapter and that the character Hassle berry will be in this chapter but under the name Tyranno, because people am I the only one who hates that dub name! Die 4kids!

Enjoy….

**_Six months later at duel academy…_**

Things were starting to get back to normal despite the dark days that followed Jaden's duel with Mario. Though nothing much had changed on the island there were still changes as a memorial service and plaque that was now mounted in the duel academy arena had been created to remember the boy that had been killed by Mario.

The boys name had been James Henzo a promising young student that had used ocean cards, people had commented on his enthusiasm and eagerness to do his best. But now whenever they thought of his memory it was just painful. In respect to this on the plaque they had written;

_James Henzo the Ocean Soldie: Died in Battle_

It was a sad week for duel academy; it helped remind Jaden that he wasn't the only one suffering from Mario's attack on the duel academy. Despite Alexis's talk with him it still took him a while to get back into the spirit to duel someone without picturing Mario's head flying off into the crowds.

But still he was now duelling and winning like before. His enthusiasm and spirit healed and he was ready to take on anyone.

Like now for example on the bright Sunday where he and Syrus were duelling in the middle of the arena. Though Syrus had one of his most powerful monsters Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill (3000/2000) Jaden was not without a strategy as he looked through his hand with a wide grin on his face.

"I play polymerization to fuse elemental heroes Avian and Burstinatrix to create elemental hero flame wingman!" (2100/1200)

A creature that looked strangely alien like appeared in their place. It had a green and black body minus for the huge red arm in the shape of a dragon. On the opposite side of its body was a single long wing. This was Jadens favourite fusion and already he knew he was going to win.

"I now play a field spell skyscraper to raise his attack power by 1000" Buildings formed all around the arena. Wingman stood on the top of the highest skyscraper prepared to attack.

"Now remember Syrus when he destroys a monster the attack gets taken out of your life points!"

"Aww man…" Syrus sighed as he looked up at the sight. He had wandered straight into this combo of Jadens.

"Now attack el-" Jaden was cut off by the sound of a boat horn sounding through the arena. Jaden put his hands over his ears wincing.

"What the heck?" Jaden yelled over the echoing sound, Syrus did the same before the two ran out of the arena and to the docks of Duel Academy. A ship was now docking. It was only half the size of a cruise ship but it glowed with an aura of luxury. People from the school were flocking to the docks to watch as it pulled in.

There were only a few times that such a grand ship like this would actually appear. It meant only one thing.

"New students?" Jaden asked confused as he stopped pushing through the crowd finally able to get a look at the beautiful ship in front of them.

Why now? Why were new students joining now they were more than half way through their next year why would students join now?

"Attention everyone!" The sound of Crowlers voice echoed again through the megaphone he held. He was at the front of the crowd shooing students back with a pale bony hand.

"Everyone back away from the docks we have new arrivals and we need space! Hey I said get out of here!" He snapped shooing away the nearest students before yelping as a stair case suddenly slammed down from the cruise ship narrowly missing him.

"Why now?" Syrus asked an eyebrow rose before noticing that somebody had just appeared at the top of the staircase of the ship.

"Hello!" Whoever it was called down cheerfully before walking down the staircase slowly, a slight spring in their step.

"I…" the voice trailed off before they stopped at the bottom of the stairs, the entire school went silent with a sudden gasp as the figure stepped off the final step.

"…am Maxamillion Pegasus"

Jadens jaw dropped as he watched the man, the man who created the very game they played step off the ship with a smile on his face. He didn't know whether to cheer or just stare. The man himself was on duel Academy Island dressed in a black tuxedo and carrying a brief case.

Crowler stepped forward slowly as in awe of the mans presence as every other student, he began to speak slowly though his voice was full of a nervous tone "Mr Pegasus sir it is such an honour to have you here but I must ask-"

Crowler was cut off as Pegasus handed him a brief case "I have come here to audition some new recruits to duel academy"

Crowler blinked at the briefcase that Pegasus had just shoved under his nose, he laughed nervously, "Erm…Mr Pegasus that's delightful…but our ranks are quite fu-"

He was cut off again as Pegasus opened the briefcase for him. It was loaded to the top with money.

"Will that be enough to sway you?" He asked with a small smile on his face enjoying how Crowlers jaw dropped.

"Why…why yes it…would" he spoke with a wide (yet disturbing) grin.

Pegasus turned to the crowd of duellists around them, "My dear children I present to you some new residents for your island I hope you'll treat them well and show them no mercy in the arena!"

The crowd was alight with chatter before suddenly they were silenced. Someone was now walking down the ramp with his hands in his pockets. He looked seventeen maybe older and had long silver hair and wore a leather jacket and jeans "Names Rox" was all he said before taking a step off the ship. He looked around the crowd his face no changing to show the slightest bit of interest.

Another boy came down followed by a woman wearing a red hooded cloak. He looked the same age as Rox and had spiky black hair and a small goatee. He was wearing a sophisticated suit, well it would be sophisticated if it wasn't for the fact he was wearing dog tags under his sleeves, "I'm Rale how do you do?" he called out through the crowd a slight smile on his face.

Another duellist began to walk down the stairs; the woman wearing the red hooded cloak looked up towards him. No one could really be certain but at the same time as he walked down it looked as if the woman was smiling.

"I'm Al" The next one called out as he stepped off the ship. The same dark haired and teen from England; at his side was a Black Labrador with brilliant white eyes that panted heavily as he looked through the crowd. He looked towards the red hooded woman exchanging a glance with her as his eyes scanned the crowd.

"This is Queen Axiss treat her with respect and we won't have no trouble" Al called out su ddenly as he motioned to the red hooded woman. He looked through the crowd of stunned faces. They seemed unsure perhaps a little intimidated. After all he had just threatened them. His eyes landed on the face of a brown haired boy.

"Jaden Yuki" he murmured under his breath the other two duelists seemed to look towards him as soon as he said the name before looking in the direction of Jaden. A smirk appeared on the corner of Al's mouth.

"So…" his voice trailed off "Where do I pick up my Obelisk blue uniform?" Al asked Crowler who was still drooling over the brief case of money. The question seemed to suddenly snap him out of his day dream.

"Now boy I'm sure your excellent duellist if Mr Maxamillion Pegasus has picked you out but you still need to earn your place" Crowler said waggling his finger at Al before stealing one last look at the brief case of money before closing it.

Al seemed to stare blankly at Crowler as if unsure what Crowler was asking from him.

"You'll have to duel for it" Crowler said as he noticed the look, blinking at him surprised.

"A duel?" Al questioned before looking towards Axiss who seemed to nod in agreement.

"Fine we'll duel but we have a condition" Al stated with a grunt, it was strange how Al was stating these things on behalf of the other two. The woman in red wasn't even butting in and she was the one who looked like the manager.

"Your condition?" Crowler asked in a confused tone.

"We duel over the course of a week or more we don't want it to happen today we haven't got the time" He stated his eyes narrowed on Crowler.

The entire crowd seemed to give a small 'ooo', Crowler was clearly not happy with being spoken down to by a student. He glared back at Al his pale knuckles cracking. It was then however he noticed Maxamillion Pegasus and Axiss staring at him in the way that simply stated 'you have no choice'.

"Very well then but I trust one of you shall duel today?"

"Yes I will" Al stated again.

"Hold on!" A voice suddenly called out.

The crowd turned to see Jaden's hand raised, Syrus standing next to him looking nervous.

"What is it Jaden Yuki?" Crowler asked in a snarl.

"I'm sorry to make you all wait but me and Syrus were still in a duel and we'd like to finish it" Jaden called back motioning to Syrus who stood next to him.

"What? But Jaden I've already lost!" Syrus yelled uneasily from all the pairs of eyes on the m.

"Syrus you still had one card face down remember there's plenty you could do" Jaden replied with his signature smile.

"Its fine" Al called out "I like you two you can continue" he said a small smile pricking up on the corners of his mouth.

----

"Now wingman attack!" Jaden declared again. They had taken their spaces in the duel arena just as before and set up the same cards. The only difference from last time was that now everyone was watching them.

Syrus watched as the creature jumped off the skyscraper a wall of fire swirling around it as it fell.

Syrus's life points: 800

Jaden's life points: 1300

"I activate my magic card defusion to make your wingman become avian and bustinatrix again!" The creature split in mid air before forming the two heroes again.

Jaden grinned as he watched them take their places in front of him "Good move Syrus but I'm not done!"

Syrus blinked before watching as Avian and Bustinatrix disappeared in a flash of light "I sacrifice Avian and Bustinatrix to summon Elemental Hero Neos!"

An alien looking warrior dressed in completely silver appeared on the field in their places power surging from its body. (2500/2000)

"It's your move Syrus"

Syrus drew a card before looking up into the duel arena stands. The new duellists were watching. Al staring at him with a small smile on his face. It wasn't that that worried him but more who was next to him. Missy, the girl he had defeated in order to gain the rank of Ra Yellow in the last six months. She was glaring at him through her huge mass of long red hair her arms crossed.

"Who is that guy?" Al asked Rale who was sitting next to him, between them sat the Black Labrador who seemed to be asleep on all fours.

"That's Syrus he's Zanes brother" Rale replied as he stared at Syrus, his gaze seemed strangely mystical, as if he was staring straight through him.

"Really?" Al asked with interest "What cards does he use"

"Roid cards" Rale replied before looking to one side at the dog between them. The dog was staring at Rale as if confused.

"Those vehicles that have the cartoon eyes" Rale spoke towards the dog more than Al.

"He's going to lose" Missy snapped her glare narrowing on Syrus "The roids are useless"

The comment made Al look at her sideways; he blinked and then turned back to the duel, muttering something under his breath that sounded like 'bitch'.

Syrus turned back to the duel with a look of panic and nervousness on his face. He didn't know what it was but the duellists were already scaring him. He stuttered before pointing at Jaden "I attack with Jumbo Drill!" he called out before the giant drill zoomed forward towards Jaden's monsters.

"Sorry Syrus I have my own defusion card!" Jaden called out and the drill stopped before suddenly exploding in a yellow light before it formed into three separate creatures.

Steamroid: 1800/1800

Submarineroid: 800/1800

Drillroid: 1600/1000

"Awww…" Syrus mumbled his head hung. He had to blame his distracted behaviour on that. Maybe if he had been paying more attention he would have been able to do something.

"Well…I play steamroid and drillroid in defence mode and attack directly with submarineroid"

Steamroid and Drillroid

Submarineroid was as the title suggested a blue submarine; however it had big cartoon eyes. It dived under the ground before a torpedo sped off in Jadens direction. Jaden let out a grunt as he was thrown backwards by an explosion.

Jaden's life points: 500

"And now I can switch submarineroid to defence mode!" Syrus called out before the submarine emerged again.

"It's my move Syrus" Jaden called out as he drew a new card "I play elemental hero Sparkman and equip him with spark blaster" (1600) Spark man appeared holding a futuristic gun in his hand.

"This can change the attack position of your monsters 3 times so I'm putting them all in attack mode!"

The roid immediately changed position as Sparkman shot each of them one by one.

"Ouch he's done for" Rale murmured. Missy jeered at Rales comment rubbing her hands together. Al looked sideways at her, in a small glare. Why was this girl sitting next to him?

"Elemental Hero Neos attack!" The monster jumped into the air before bringing its hand down on Submarineroid. The minute he punched him he was enveloped in a huge explosion of energy.

Syrus's life points: 0

"Jaden Yuki is the winner!" The crowd erupted into cheers; Jaden walked forward and shook hands with Syrus who smiled in return.

"And he's supposed to be a Ra yellow?" Missy spat ignoring the cheering coming from the crowd around them.

"I think I know who I want to challenge Axiss" Al growled his fists clenching. Axiss turned to him her face hidden but it was obvious she was smiling.

"You did alright Syrus if I hadn't drawn defusion then you would have won"

Syrus gave a small chuckle of embarrassment before yelping as Crowlers voice yelled down the speakers.

"Attention everyone Alistair has chosen his opponent!" Crowler announced. Somehow Crowler had managed to hear him from the back row and was now standing next to Al who still sat down. Al was looking up at Crowler wishing he would shut off the megaphone as he was deafening the students in the row before him, plus it was just annoying.

He sighed before getting to his feet slowly and grabbing the megaphone off Crowler causing the audience to chuckle as Crowler's face twisted up in surprise..

"I've decided that my next opponent is going to be Obelisk Blue's Missy" He looked sideways at the red haired girl who now stared at him blankly "Don't think I'm challenging her because I want to show off…she's just annoying"

----

The two duellists were now stood in the centre of duel arena. Syrus and Jaden sat down in the crowd. Syrus looked a little confused. Missy had clearly insulted him and this stranger was now sticking up for him.

Crowler stood in the centre between the two duellists. Al was now glaring at Missy who glared back but in a more childish way as she stuck out her tongue.

"Introducing from Obelisk Blue Missy!" Crowler raised a hand in Missy's direction. A large amount of duel academy seemed to cheer despite Missy being a pain; clearly they wanted her to show Al what it was like.

"And her opponent from England Alistair!" The duellists who had come with Al and Axiss cheered. No one else cheered until suddenly Pegasus began to clap, following his example the rest of the crowd broke into applause.

"Prats…" Al muttered as he looked from the crowd to Missy. A duel disk was on his arm.

"Is that thing ancient or something?" Missy asked as she looked at the duel disk in disgust. It was completely made from bronze.

"It's expensive and you couldn't afford one if that's what you mean?" Al shot back causing Missy to growl at him.

"Alright duel!" Crowler declared.

Missy's life points: 4000

Al's life points: 4000

Al gave a small grunt of annoyance as he drew five card from his deck. They were only duelling with 4000? This would be over quicker than he wanted.

"You can got first" he called to her but she had already slapped down a card while glaring at him.

"I'll start I summon Insect Knight in attack mode!" She declared the insect appearing on her side of the field wielding its sword and shield. (1900)

"Hey I had one of them" he called out grinning "I still do…it's in my old deck…I'd never get rid of it"

"Oh shut up" she muttered before slapping a card down "I'll also play this card face down"

He drew a card before looking towards her "Beware my deck…is something you've never seen before…."

He slapped down a card "I summon Steamroid to attack mode!" He called out. The entire crowd fell over from the tension being completely destroyed. A train appeared out on the field with cartoon eyes. (1800/1800)

"That?" she yelled out her eyes narrowing as she yelled at him.

"Never underestimate the roids girl…but I'll level with you the reason why I played it is so I could use this" He slapped down a magic card with the picture of a brown gear on it with a skull in the centre.

"This is called The Skull Marked Cog and by tributing one machine type I can bring a machine monster to my hand" He looked through his deck before picking out a machine.

"And here it is I summon Phantom Metal Chaos in attack mode!" He yelled before slapping the card down.

"You can't do that you've already summoned" she yelled at him

"Actually this monster can be special summoned if I have no monsters on my field and have a machine monster in my graveyard" A dark mist began to rise from where steamroid stood before it suddenly vanished into the mist with a toot of its engine.

Out of the dark mist came a bronze bony hand attached to a gun like arm. A skull with five eyes appeared connected to arm through a black cloak, (2000/900)

"Attack Chaos!" He commanded and the monster leapt at the Insect Knight pulling back its claw like gun. The claw fired from the tip of the gun plunging into Insect Knight before shattering it to pieces of digital dust.

Missy's life points: 3900

"I play call of the haunted to get back my Insect Knight!" she called out a trap card with a picture of a purple cloud coming from a graveyard appeared. The Insect Knight rose from the ground below.

"I'll play two cards face down" he called out "Your move"

She drew a card before looking at it and grinning towards Al, "I sacrifice my Insect Knight to summon my Empress Mantis"

The Insect knight turned to green light before forming into a new creature. A pink prey mantis like creature with a white boa around its head and arms, its arms had huge blades on the end of them that scraped against each other. (2200/1400)

"Sharp blades aren't they?" She asked with a little smirk on her face, she blinked as she noticed Al was now yawning.

"It's just an insect who the hell cares?" He asked with a tired sigh.

"Shut the hell up!" she yelled before pointing at the metal monster on his side of the field, "Now attack his Chaos!"

"I activate Phantom Metal Salvage" He called out and revealed a card that showed a grim reaper hammering metal on an anvil "With this I can tribute my Level 5 Phantom Metal Chaos to summon two Phantom Metal monsters that are one level lower!"

Chaos fell to the ground it's body limp and motionless as if it's batteries had suddenly ran out before its metal body melted away into a pool of dark mist.

The mist split down the centre as the creature dissolved before the two pools of mist formed into two spheres of dark mist, "So let me introduce you to my Phantom Metal Wraiths"

The spheres formed into bronze skeletons wearing tattered black capes, their skulls the shape of that of a goats skull, their arms were tiny rusted daggers and instead of legs they had scorpion like tails. (1600/1200)

"What's the point my Empress still has more attack power? Slice them up!" She barked at the mantis that glided over the field with both blades raised above it's head.

The wraiths looked towards each other before throwing back their heads as if taking a breath before breathing out a huge line of dark mist that hit the Empress in the face. She stumbled back lowering the blades and trying to fight through the darkness inflicted upon her.

"Didn't work…you see when one Phantom Metal Wraith is on the field you can't declare an attack against any of the other phantom metal monsters" he explained with a cocky smirk before pointing with both hands to each of them "…and since I have two they can protect each other…if they protect each other you can't attack either of them"

"You've got me in a lock" She murmured grinding her teeth together as he eyes narrowed and she stamped her feet on the ground, Empress taking it's place at her side and shaking it's head to get the dark mist from off of it's face.

"Fine I play my Insect Hive card!" she called out as a card with a picture of a bee hive on it appeared on her side of the field, "With this I can summon one extra insect this turn so long as I have a powerful monster on my side of the field"

The hive exploded to reveal a grass hopper like monster that flipped on the spot with an annoying chirp. (1000/1200)

"I play Pinch Hopper in defence mode and end my turn" She called out the Insect lying down on the field next to Empress bracing for impact.

"Fine I draw" Al called out with a sigh before he looked at the card, his voice sounded tired as if he was becoming more bored by the minute

"I play my face down card Phantasm Craft" he called out as a card with a strange fleshy bomb in the shape of a skull on it was flipped up "By sending two cards to the graveyard I'm able to bring back a Phantom Metal Monster from the graveyard.

A smirk began to form as he put the two cards in the graveyard, "So I'll summon one of the monsters I threw away!"

The same dark mist built up between the two wraiths before suddenly a bronze dog head suddenly appeared out of it. But it didn't just have one head there were two of them attached to a huge bronze body with a blade like tail. (2400/2000)

"I summon Phantom Metal Ortharus Prototype" He declared before pointing at her "And this card is able to increase its attack by half your defence points when he attacks a monster now attack her ultimate insect!" (3100)

The dog ran forward its metal body clanging before it pounced on the empress who gave a chirp of surprise before shattering into pieces.

Missys life points: 3000

"Now I'll attack your Pinch Hopper with one of my wraiths!" He called out before one of the wraiths flew at Pinch hopper and cut the insect in half. As it did the Pinch Hopper let out a loud chirp that echoed through the stands. Missy ignored the annoying sound as a smirk appeared on her face.

"Pinch Hoppers dying call right?" Al asked wincing from the sound of the irritating insect.

"Yes pinch hopper lets me special summon one insect monster from my hand so I summon Insect Princess" (1900/1200) She declared as a sudden gust of wind began to blow through the duel arena before a human looking insect with huge butterfly wings appeared in pinch hoppers place.

"Well looks like you got me" he called out sarcastically before sighing, he looked at her with a smile before shrugging, "Your turn"

She drew a card before growling "I may not be able to attack your monster but I can still have a powerful monster I play United we stand on my Insect Princess to raise her attack by 800 for every monster on my side of the field!" A card with a picture of two hands clasped together appeared behind the Insect showering it with a golden aura. (2700)

"Then I'll summon Insect Knight" As the Insect appeared next to her in the same aura of Golden light the Insect Princess's aura glowed brighter than before. (3500)

"And then!" She called out before a card with green ants being formed from red energy appeared before her "I'll use multiplication of ants to sacrifice my Insect Knight to summon two ant tokens in defence mode!" (500/500) The insect knight shrunk in green light before it formed into two green ants that scuttled around the Insect Princess.

The Insect Princess was glowing brighter and brighter as the ants scuttled around her. Her eyes were narrowed on the phantom metal monsters. The golden aura circling her huge butterfly wings that seemed to be growing in size. (4300)

"And now I play ring of magnetism!" She called out proudly as a green ring circled the Insect like an eerie halo.

"Your not the only one with the perfect defence because with this I can make my Insect Princess the only monster you can attack at the cost of reducing her attack by 500!" The green ring sparked with green electricity, the Insects wings seemed to shrink in size and she looked a little uncomfortable as she was zapped by the ring. (3800)

"Your move" She called out with a chuckle, Al just muttered 'bitch' again under his breath before he drew a card and slapped it down onto his duel disk.

A wide grin appeared on his face. The ground under his feet shook a little, "I'll now sacrifice my two wraiths" he called out chuckling darkly.

A buzz suddenly went through the crowd as dark mist began to formed under the two wraiths. It swirled under them before consuming them. The ground was beginning to shake even more fiercely than before.

"Wait why would you sacrifice them you were safe with them on your field!" Missy called out with a confused look on her face.

"So I can summon my Phantom Metal Towering Despair" He replied his no longer full of laughter and chuckles but dark and threatening his eyes focused on Missy in an evil scowl.

The mist began to swirl faster under his feet. The ground shook below him before the dark mist expanded growing larger and larger as a huge stone human like head suddenly rose from the mist. It was followed by a body of stone and bronze metal, huge iron nails hammered into its body. It had no legs but instead acres of rock and metal. It had two huge arms that were chained the ground by thick iron chains. The huge like head looked down on the field its eyes covered with bandages; its mouth opened revealing its teeth to be jagged shards of rock as it roared pulling at the chains fiercly.

(2800/3000)

"What's so special about that?" She called out but couldn't say she wasn't intimidated by the disturbing creature as it roared and struggled against its chained arms making the ground tremble with every tug.

"Well when there are monsters with higher attack power on your side of the field I can make this card increase it's attack by 300 per level of that monster and all the other monsters on your side of the field" He called out raising his arms above his head and to the creature like he was worshipping the creature.

"Well that is…" his voice trailed off before he turned back to her "So long as this card is the only one who can attack this turn and can't attack next turn"

She looked at him her jaw slightly dropped unsure how to respond. The same dark mist began to swirl around her three insects. The tower opening his mouth and breathing in, the mist was beginning to be sucked in slowly.

Insect Princess: Level 6: Power boost to Tower: 1800

Two Ant tokens: Level 4: Power boost to Tower: 2400

Power boost: 4200 + 2800: 7000

"What! That's an insane amount of attack power!" She yelled out as the creature's jagged mouth closed with a loud crack of broken rock before opening again slowly; the dark mist forming in its mouth before it changed colour into a white spark of energy.

"Phantom Metal Towering Despair attack the insect princess" Al pointed at the Insect Princess who now seemed to be looking up at the tower uneasily as the white spark began to grow into a ball of energy.

"Devastation!" He yelled out before the creature fired a huge blast of the energy down at Insect Princess. It enveloped the monster creating an explosion so huge that it lit up the entire arena, some people were even screaming afraid that they would be blown away by the power of the attack.

Missys life points: 0

A stunned Missy dropped to her knees, she was unharmed but clearly shaken "You beat me"

"Relax it was nothing personal" He called to her his arms crossed as his monsters faded away, "I just wanted you to shut up"

The crowd erupted into cheers and Al thrust his fist in the air. Jaden and Syrus stared down at the new duellist eyes wide with shock.

"Phantom Metal Cards I didn't even know they made cards like that?" Syrus murmured looking towards Jaden.

"Just who are these guys?" Jaden murmured under his breath before looking back through the crowd. His eyes met with the same shocked look on the faces of Bastion, Tyranno and Alexis. Only one that did not seem phased by the sight. Chazz Princeton who was now glaring down at Al as he joined the other two duellists in the front row.


	8. A Protest

"Obelisk blue!" The dark haired bad tempered Chazz yelled out bashing his fist against the table of the slifer cafeteria table "He has one match and they already hand him an Obelisk blue ranking!"

"Well you can't say his match wasn't impressive he didn't even lose one life point" Bastion replied calmly as he ate his fried shrimp quietly.

"Who cares I've beaten plenty of people and they still haven't given me my Obelisk Blue rank back! That should be me!" He yelled bashing his fists against the table again causing fried shrimp to jump off his plate.

"Hey careful with the shrimp people may want to eat that" Jaden exclaimed reaching forward with a chopstick that Chazz immediately knocked away.

"Aren't you mad about this Jaden? They come to our academy halfway through the year and already their stealing the spotlight!" He yelled at him panting heavily. Jaden merely just kept eating like Bastion before swallowing and grinning.

"Actually I like them those Phantom Metal Cards were interesting" He said with a chuckle.

"Interesting!" Chazz yelled a vein on his forehead seemed to throb violently.

"Why do you have to be such a cheery fuc-" Chazz was interrupted as a tray was slammed down in front of him and Alexis sat at their table before sighing.

"What's Chazz yelling about?" She asked Jaden ignoring the look of disbelief on Chazz's face.

"He's mad about those new guys that arrived yesterday" Jaden replied.

"Come on tell me you agree with my Alexis?" Chazz asked hopefully his eyes shining as he looked at Alexis who barely acknowledged his presence.

"I think we should only worry if they cause trouble" Alexis answered wiping the hopeful smile on Chazz's face off causing him to sigh and hang his head.

"She's right Chazz just give them a chance" Jaden said with a smile before popping a fried shrimp into his mouth.

"Whatever either way it'll end with me beating them all" Chazz snarled as he sat back down with a thud.

"Really would that include me?" A voice asked from the cafeteria door, Rox the long haired duellist with a leather jacket and jeans was standing at the door his face emotionless as if made from stone.

"You challenging?" Chazz spat getting to his feet slowly.

"Well I would be I'm not convinced your worth it" he replied his face not changing. Chazz snarled at him.

"You want a piece of me?"

"Again you're not worth it" He replied as if staring straight through Chazz.

Three odd little creatures suddenly appeared around Chazz's head. One was a yellow alien creature with bright red lips and eyes on the end of antenna, the next was a green creature with one eye and a long tongue and the final one was a black creature with a fat belly and long nose. The three had a certain similarity despite their different looks but the one thing that made it obvious they were a team were the ridiculous pair of Speedos they each wore.

"Boss hold on this guys scary!" The yellow one exclaimed cowering behind his two other brothers.

"Yeah something about him doesn't feel right!" The black one added holding on tight to the green one.

"Ojama monsters how interesting" Rox spoke out loud interrupting the glare between Chazz and his annoying spirits.

"You can see them?" Chazz asked sideways at Rox.

"In a way…monsters that don't make people scream don't like talking to me so I rarely see spirits like that for myself" he spoke before looking at the air around Chazz's head where the Ojama's still cowered in fear.

"Ojama spirits….you must be a goofy guy considering you've got those as your spirits" He said with a tone of bitter humour in his voice causing Chazz to snarl a little.

"Go to hell! What do you want anyway?" He growled forcefully his eyes fixed in a scowl.

"Well I propose a wager Chazz Princeton" Rox replied crossing towards him.

"Oh yeah like what?" he spat back rudely.

"Well on this island right now a Tormentor has appeared" Chazz looked at him strangely for a moment an eyebrow raised while the three ojamas hid themselves in his hair.

"He's an evil person like the one that killed that boy"

Chazz flinched as he said this Ojamas let out a wail of fear.

"You're not scared are you?" He asked Chazz who immediately shook his head.

"Well this person is part of a twin duo I want you to duel him and if you can beat him without going under the limit of 1000 life points then maybe I'll accept your challenge…if you do then you'll have to watch me duel his brother" Rox stated his expression never changing.

"Fine I accept" he replied and the Ojamas in his hair cheered.

"Yeah you go boss make him sorry!"

"Shut up…" Chazz muttered as they left.

It was strange how Chazz hadn't noticed that something had been very wrong during his conversation with Rox.

The room had been silent all the way through it, but not because of the impact of the conversation, but because somehow time itself had stopped just for them. The room was now dark and every student was frozen in place.

Slowly they began to unfreeze time returning to normal. Jaden blinked at the empty space in front of him. He could have sworn he had seen Chazz in that seat only a second ago.

---

Chazz couldn't have expected what he was going to see next. Rox had led him into the forest of Duel Academy. In a matter of moments a scream had been heard and they broke into a run.

And then they saw it. A man wearing a white face mask with two yellow eyes, he was wearing a white ninja like uniform, but this wasn't important. What was important was that that this new attacker currently held a blond kid by the hair who was screaming to no end. The attacker had broken one of his legs and was now about to break the other.

"That's enough if you don't want any more trouble than you already have you'll leave him be" Rox called out, despite how Chazz would deny it he actually panicked when the stone faced male called out this new attacker. Was he crazy this guy was dangerous?

The ninja like creature turned to him before chuckling from behind its mask "And why should I spare such a weak and pathetic creature it lost the shadow game"

"You'll do it because this man here is going to play you at a shadow game and if he loses then you can have that kid, him and me" Rox declared his eyes narrowed down on the ninja.

Chazz stared at Rox a little thrown off by the wager. Was he that confident that he would win? No, by the sideways glance that Rox gave him he decided it was merely making their wager more interesting.

"Such an offer how can I refuse?" The ninja jumped up into the trees before suddenly dropping down in front of Chazz. It moved so fast. It was like a cheater dressed in white.

"I am Rai the eagle of White Thunder" The ninja declared before flipping back a metre. A white duel disk appearing out of his arm.

"I…I don't care!" he answered back before yelping as Rox threw a duel disk at him that he caught in one hand.

"Go on make a move" Rox said and gestured to the ninja.

"Go on boss lets kick his ass!" Ojama yellow yelled as he circled Chazz's head. He merely snarled before strapping on the duel disk and glaring at him.

"Bring it!" Chazz yelled before his eyes widened as suddenly the forest around them turned completely black the once bright sky now pitch black. The trees were now purple and the leaves a poisonous looking pink.

"Oh one more thing here they duel with 4000 life points are you ok to do that?" Rox's asked and immediately Chazz fell over in true anime style.

"Don't ask him so casually!" Chazz yelled shaking his fist at Rox.

"I accept it'll make him easier to kill" Rai called out before drawing five cards from his deck.

Ra's life points: 4000

Chazz's life points: 4000

"I summon to begin with the electric lizard into attack mode" Electricity sparked in front of the ninja before a purple lizard with a silly toothy grin and antenna appeared. (850/800)

"Then I'll play Raimei!" A magic card with a picture of a cloud and a bolt of lightning appeared.

"Now I decrease your life points by 300!" The same cloud appeared over Chazz before a bolt of lightning struck down on him. He let out a cry of pain as he felt the shock run through his body. As he emerged from the blast his body shook from the brief pain.

Chazz's life points: 3700

"Different isn't it?" The ninja called out as Chazz managed to regain his footing. He glared at Rai before drawing a card.

"I summon Chthonain Soldier in attack mode" A knight appeared with a large sword and red eyes (1200/1400) "Then I'll play one card face down and attack!"

The knight jumped at the electric lizard burying the sword in its head. Chazz was surprised by the blue liquid that poured from the creatures head, the blood of the creature.

Rai's life points: 3650

Chthonian soldier paused as he looked at the kill before suddenly crying out as a surge of electricity ran up his blade.

"Now your monster cannot attack on your next turn now it's my draw" he drew a card before slapping one down "I now play the monster Electric snake in attack mode"

A green cobra with a blue ball of electricity on its tail appeared (800/900)

"So what it can't attack my chthonian soldier?" Chazz called out his eyes narrowing on him.

"Well that's not the point I now play Kaiser coliseum" A magic card with the picture of a coliseum on it appeared, "Now you can't play any more monsters than I have on the field and since your Chthonian soldier is paralysed this turn I may as well play on my snake the card Buster Rancher"

A magic card with a small man holding a giant futuristic gun appeared "This card allows me to increase this monsters attack power by 2500 when a monster with 2500 attack power attacks it finally I'll play chain energy"

A magic card with a demon being held back by bonds of electricity appeared.

"This makes it so we have to pay 500 life points to play any card now I end my turn"

Chazz drew from his deck his eyes narrowing on him, so long as chthonian soldier was under the effect of the lizard it couldn't attack, "I'll sacrifice chthonian soldier to summon armed dragon level 5!"

A huge red and black dragon with blades and drills jutting out of its sides appeared on the field and roared its green eyes narrowing on the cobra. (2400/2000) Chazz yelled out suddenly as he felt a stinging sensation shoot through his wrists as electric rings formed on them.

Chazz's life points: 3200

"Now attack Armed Dragon!" The dragon jumped forward at the electric snake about to slice it up with a blade filled arm when suddenly the same gun on buster rancher appeared on the field in front of the snake.

"What but my Armed Dragon has 2400 attack power?" Chazz called out rubbing his injured wrists.

"Yes but I combined your dragon with my rush recklessly magic card a quick play card that can increase its attack by 700 points" Rai called out as a magic card with a warthog charging on it appeared.

"Now your dragon has 3100 attack power whilst my snake now has 3300 thanks to buster rancher!" The snake slithered forward slotting its tail between the trigger of the gun before it fired. The gun shot out a huge blast of blue energy which took off the armed dragons head. It fell with a huge thud blood splattering the ground in front of Chazz's feet.

Chazz's life points: 3000

He looked stunned at first before gripping his fist tightly. He noticed that the electric rings had now appeared on Rai's hands.

"Ha! You take 500 because you played rush recklessly!" Chazz called out with a satisfied smirk.

Rai's life points: 3150

"It matters not I'm still going to win" The ninja replied as he fought through the pain running through his wrists.

"Well actually it does matter because I'm now going to play this" Chazz called out before a huge storm suddenly began to pick up and Rai's chain energy card blew to pieces.

"You still suffer the damage" Rai called out with a bitter chuckle as Chazz let out a yell of pain. Electricity was surging through his arms again. He almost dropped the cards from his hands.

Chazz's life points: 2500

But Chazz was able to ignore the pain in his hands, he slapped down a card with a black dragon flying over a wall with a knight on it's back "Frontline base I now can special summon a union monster like my Y dragon head in defence mode!"

A red dragon robot appeared on the field in defence mode its metal wings folded over itself. (1500/1600)

"My turn" Rai called out before drawing from his deck. Even though he was wearing a mask it was easy to tell he was impressed by what he had drawn.

"I'll sacrifice my Electric snake to bring fourth Zaborg the thunder monarch" A bolt of lightning disintegrated the snake before a huge warrior dressed in samurai like armour appeared in it's place sparking with electricity. (2400/2000)

"Now it can destroy your Y Dragon Head because of my Zaborg being successfully summoned" A giant bolt of lightning shot from the sky and hit the robot dragon, it exploded on the spot shards of metal being thrown in different directions.

"Now Zaborg can attack!" Rai pointed towards Chazz and Zaborg raised both of its hands forward. Electricity ran through them before flying across the ground and hitting Chazz. He cried out at the top of his lungs as he felt his entire body tingle with electricity, his heart beating with so much fierce pain he almost thought it would explode.

Chazz's life points: 100

"Down already?" Rai called out to the smoking body of Chazz Princeton. He couldn't keep steady, he fell to his knees his body weak.

"I still won't give up!" He yelled out drawing a card from his deck despite being a crawling position.

"I now special summon my Z metal Tank in attack mode" He called out weakly slapping the card on the duel disk. A yellow tank with a red eye and claw like armour over its tank tracks appeared in front of him. (1500/1300)

He looked through the remaining cards in his hand before managing to smile widely "Now I play level modulation which lets me bring back my Armed Dragon level 5 so long as you draw 2 cards"

Rai drew two cards from his deck before a warm aura began to rise from the space where Armed Dragons head had landed. The armed dragon was formed from the bright light and roared at Rai. The white ninja didn't flinch, he merely looked towards Chazz and then towards the boy that was still weeping over his broken leg.

"I'm not impressed your armed dragon can't activate its effect" He looked back towards Chazz "And without its effect you can't discard a monster with higher attack power than my Zaborg in order to destroy it can you?"

Chazz choked a cough in response, "Stand up weakling!" Rai shouted at him forcefully his white gloved hands clenched.

Chazz rose slowly to his feet an insane smirk on his face. He slapped down a card onto the duel disk, "I'll play level up"

Rai froze on the spot taking a step back as a magic card with a Horus Dragon on it surrounded in gold energy appeared on the field, "No! With that you can…"

"Transform him into his next level armed dragon level 7!" The armed dragon glowed before it transformed into a new shape. The dragon still looked like the last form but it had more blades and looked more built up than the last dragon. (2800/1000)

"Now I'll use its effect and discard my despair from the dark to the graveyard to destroy your Zaborg!" The dragon threw back its head before firing a burst of green energy at Zaborg who vanished behind the raw energy.

"And now you are defenceless…you should have thought more into your strategy" Chazz chuckled the same insane grin on his face his eyes burning with madness "And now I attack with both my monsters!"

Rai took another step back in fear as both creatures advanced towards him slowly, "Stop…I'll…I'll die!"

"I don't care!" Chazz yelled at him before pointing at Rai his eyes narrowed "Kill him!"

The Z metal tank's guns locked on to Rai and fired. Two bursts of blue energy flew towards Rai and hit him in both arms. He cried out from behind his white face mask as his arms fell to the ground, something was strange as he screamed. The scream seemed more high pitched as the mask came loose.

Rai's life points: 1650

"Fucking hell my arms!" He yelled out his voice racked in pain before he cried out in fear as he saw that Armed Dragon was now soaring towards him. He ran as fast as he could trying to get out of the forest, but when he tried to run away something formed in his path and punched him backwards, a barrier of pure shadow.

Rai looked up at his death sentence as the dragon flew down its mouth wide open…

Rai's life points: 0

Chazz looked on his face emotionless as he watched Rai's body being eaten by the dragon, the monster he had declared to attack. He had taken a life, Rai was defenceless at that last moment but he had still attacked.

"You…you killed him!" The blond haired child wailed as he watched the dragon swallow the leg of Rai. Chazz was still looking on not acknowledging that the kid existed anymore.

"You…you killed him! Your no better than hi-" The kid was cut off, he let out a gasp of surprise as Rox hit him hard in the back of the head knocking him unconscious. He fell to the ground with a hard thud.

"You see that!" Chazz declared his body shaking but he looked satisfied none the less as his two monsters faded away, "I did it I can beat them! I'm as good as-"

"You don't get to brag Chazz you failed your life points were 100 in the end they dropped far too low" Rox replied with a bitterness in his voice his eyes narrowed towards Chazz before he picked up the unconscious boy and slung him over his shoulder.

"The only thing you have to be proud of for now is that you have proved that you can survive the shadows but unless I lose against Rai's partner then you'll be delighted to know you still have a long way to go" Rox explained his tone still dark and bitter before he began to walk out of the forest that had now begun to change back to it's normal natural colours.

Chazz's fist clenched. He had been humiliated. Where did this guy get off telling him what to do?

"You may want to ask yourself why your Ojama buddies aren't talking to you" Rox called over his shoulder, "It's because you scare them…and you should know something else"

He turned back to Chazz who was still glaring at him, but the glare was interrupted as he noticed that Armed dragon was still standing above him. It's jaws were wide open and there was something lying limp and half eaten.

"Rai was a woman the mask was used to disguise her and make her enemy not show her mercy…I see it worked"

Rox walked off without saying another word leaving Chazz to stare into the mouth of the slowly disappearing dragon. Sure enough it was true. The half eaten chest of Rai lay on the dragons tongue with its head still attached. The helmet that the ninja had worn was now cracked open to reveal the true face behind it. The bloody face of a young blonde haired female, who disappeared as the dragon closed its jaws with a heavy growl.

Chazz stood in the sunlight that was now shining through the leaves of the trees. The glares and smirks were now wiped from his face as the dragon faded away. His body was shaking but he didn't know what from, was it guilt, fear or sadness. He didn't know what to think as the tears dropped from his eyes.


	9. The Dead Magician

Syrus was stood outside the classroom. Why? Even he didn't know why. But lesson had ended and now he waited for the class to empty. Was he waiting for Jaden? No he wasn't nor any of his other friends. He was waiting for someone he hadn't talked to before.

He opened his mouth to speak as she walked past him before it shut all of a sudden. He couldn't bring himself to do it; he couldn't bring himself to talk to Gale.

"Why did you pause Syrus?" Jadens friendly voiced asked from behind him. He yelped before turning round his eyes wide.

"Jaden don't do that!" He yelled at him his fists clenched.

"So Syrus looks like you got your eyes on a girl hmm?" Jaden asked with a wide smirk on his face, Syrus's face grew hot before he took a step backwards.

"Hey it's not like that I! Erm! I!" Syrus stammered a heat rising in his cheeks.

Bastion suddenly stepped out of the class room followed by Tyranno and tapped Jaden on the shoulder, "Jaden we need to speak to you"

"Really? All right Syrus I'll see you later" Jaden said with a small wave. Syrus at that point seemed to look around nervously before running off in one direction down the corridor.

"So what's up you two?" Jaden asked looked from Tyranno to Bastion.

"It's Chazz something's wrong with him" Bastion said with a frown on his face.

"Like what?" Jaden asked an eyebrow raised.

"He's staying locked up in his room" Tyranno explained watching as Jaden's face dropped "He refuses to come out except for meals and he keeps…laughing"

"Laughing?" Jaden asked in surprise, if Chazz had been through what he had then the last thing he would do is laugh.

"Well it's like a strangled life…like he's half laughing half in tears" Bastion added knowing exactly what Jaden was thinking.

"So he's been through the same thing as me" Jaden cursed his eyes lowing to the ground "It should have been me not him…"

"Well there's something else we need to tell you he is actually coming out today" Tyranno's words made Jadens head snap up in surprise.

"He is?"

"Yeah because that Rox guy has an announcement for duel academy and says Chazz needs to be their because of some bet they made?" He said before shrugging, "May as well go see what's up"

The two were about to turn and walk towards the duel arena when Jaden barged past them breaking into a run. The two looked at each other in a clueless way before shrugging and following on.

---

"Good evening my dear duel academy!" Pegasus called out cheerfully into the microphone. He was dressed in a sparkly red tuxedo. It made him look like a cheesy game show host but something about him allowed him to pull it off "I would like to welcome you all and thank you for turning up we have a very special match today!"

Once again the duel arena was filled up cheers and chants echoing around the audience. Pegasus sighed clearly loving the publicity as duellists chanted his name. Crowler stood in the audience grumbling, "I'm the guy that makes the announcements" he muttered bitterly.

"I am pleased to introduce Queen Axiss!" Pegasus called out. The lights in the duel arena suddenly dimmed and a spotlight appeared next to him before suddenly Axiss appeared in a poof of smoke still wearing her long hooded cloak. She dropped the hood before smiling as the audience roared, well to be exact the male audience who clearly enjoyed looking at the face of the beautiful woman.

"Hello boys and girls I'd like to thank you again now I must warn you that today is not a day for the faint of heart!"

As she went on Jaden followed by Bastion and Tyranno ran into the duel arena entrance in awe of the huge crowd that had flocked to the seats of the arena. He looked out towards the duel arena centre and watched as the raven haired woman finished her speech...

"…so let me introduce to you Rox and Chazz!"

Jaden's face lit up in confusion looking towards Bastion and Tyranno for some explanation.

The arena lights went up and in the blink of an eye Rox was now standing in the middle of the stage with a dangerous blood red duel disk that was covered in threatening black spikes.

"Good Evenin" He spoke with some enthusiasm but his face was still blank, "I'm sure I don't need to introduce Chazz" he gestured next to him.

Sure enough Chazz stood next to him. He looked terrible, his clothes were tattered and his hands were bandaged. Even though no one else knew it he was still wearing the same clothes as he had yesterday, the same clothes that he had worn during the shadow game.

"I challenged Chazz to a wager and said if he could beat a certain duellist then he would be able to duel me" He declared beginning to pace in front of Chazz. The audience began to cheer in anticipation.

"But Chazz failed his end of the wager and thus cannot duel me" The audience fell silent immediately; some sounds of disappointment went through the crowd.

"But there is hope for him yet because today I'm going to play that duellists partner who as I have heard is even more dangerous than the one Chazz faced" Jaden was now sure he saw Rox smirk a little as he paced.

"I plan on duelling this person with the score of eight thousand life points and I can beat him without going under the total of five thousand life points Chazz may duel me" He declared causing a stir in the audience. In a game of eight thousand life points he was bound to go under five thousand somehow.

"And I'm sure that persons here right now isn't he?" Rox asked aggressively. All the lights in the arena suddenly changed to a red colour.

Something appeared opposite Rox and Chazz in a ring of flames.

"You killed my sister" it spoke slowly as he got to his feet. Unlike Rai this one wore no face mask; he had pale skin and black hair that was slicked backwards. His mouth was covered by a red scarf that wrapped round his head, he wore a black ninja costume and there was a red duel disk on his arm.

"I will avenge her" he spoke slowly his eyes narrowed on Chazz "You will burn in hell on this night"

"He may do" Rox said as he took his place in front of the ninja "If you can beat me you get Chazz"

Chazz didn't flinch at how his life was being wagered. He was too busy cowering. The moment the ninja had appeared he had fallen over and curled up. He began muttering to himself telling himself it wasn't his fault.

"What are they saying?" Jaden asked Bastion even though he knew Bastion's guess was as good as his, they had no idea that a shadow game was about to take place.

"So be it" The ninja replied before the duel disk activated, the arena suddenly darkened. The only light being the red spot lights on the ninja and Rox and Chazz.

Jaden felt a trickle of fear run down his spine. He now knew what was going on, "Oh my god…" he spoke slowly his fists clenching as his breathing picked up.

"So what's your name?" Rox asked his red and black spiky duel disk activating as he drew five cards.

"My name is Yarou" he replied as he drew five cards. There was a silence before suddenly the sound of laughter filled the room. Rox was laughing. The originally stone cold looking duellist was now laughing to no end.

"You find my name amusing?" Yarou asked with a touch of venom in his voice.

"Yes because I already know what you're going to use!" He said with a chuckle, "Your going to use pyro monsters aren't you Yarou? Like the monster? Fire-Yarou" He chuckled. The ninja fell silent not answering as he stared at Rox.

"Oh come on it's obvious you wear a red scarf, the lighting of the shadow realm is red, your duel disk is red and even your name is a fire monster like Rai's name came from the magic card Raimei" He chuckled before the look vanished from his face into that same stone cold gaze, "Admit it"

"I won't admit anything" The ninja replied looking at his cards as if embarrassed.

"Then you can go first and prove me wrong" He said his gaze never faltering.

The ninja drew a card before slapping one onto the duel disk, "I play Molten Destruction" he called out and a magic card of a volcano appeared on the field, "This makes all my fire monsters-"

"Told you" he interrupted with a slight tone of humour in his voice, the ninja ignored the comment.

"I now can increase my fire types by 500 attack points and lower their defence points by 400" The ground beneath them rumbled before suddenly a giant volcano emerged from behind Yarou.

"And now I summon The Thing in the Crater" A miniature volcano suddenly rose from the ground in front of Yarou, darkness formed in the centre of it before two blues eyes appeared in it. A body of shadow formed from out of the volcano looking down on Rox. (1500/800)

"Your move" he called out Rox drew a card without blinking twice at the creature that was now swaying from side to side.

"I summon in attack mode" he placed down a card on his disk, a red pattern suddenly appeared on the field before him "My Blood Clan Luster Dragon"

The pattern flew off the ground and formed into a ball of red liquid before it formed into a creature. A dragon with a thin body and a beak like head with a black marking on it, it landed on the ground in front of the shadow creature before roaring. (1900/1800)

The crowd whispered to each other. Yet again a new form of card had been introduced; yet again the opponent would have no idea how to combat it.

"And I'll play one card face down" he called out before playing a card face down card, "And I'll attack"

He pointed at Yarou's creature before Luster dragon flew at it and fired a crimson fireball from its mouth. It ripped through the shadow creature before blowing up the miniature volcano on the ground. The lava flew in different directions before reforming on the spot where the creature had been blown up.

Yarou's life points: 7600

"Now I activate my monsters ability to summon another fire type from my hand when it's destroyed!" The lava formed into a rock like body with a huge metal gauntlet for an arm, two green eyes peering from a menacing head "Molten behemoth in defence mode" (1500/1800)

"I activate my face down card" Rox declared and a card with a metal ring on it with several flaming blades on it "This is my own version of ring of destruction called Sword Ring of Self Sacrifice it destroys the monster we each take half of it's original attack power to our life points now seeing as your cards original attack power is 1000 we each take 500"

The same metal ring appeared around Molten Behemoth. It tightened around it before the rock body of the behemoth was sliced up by the multiple blades on the ring.

A blade from the ring flew off in both directions and hit both of them in the chest. Yarou was thrown backwards clutching the blade with a cry of pain; Rox just stood his arms folded as it embedded itself in his chest before reaching around the blade and pulling it out. He didn't even wince.

Rox's life points: 7500

Yarou's life points: 7100

"What the hell" Tyranno murmured in shock. There was blood! Actual blood on those blades and yet Rox hadn't even batted an eye lid.

"Now we can special summon a monster from our hands with the same level or lower as the destroyed monster" Rox explained looking through his hand.

"I now special summon my Blood Skull Dragon Level 5 in attack mode" He called out not even recognising the pain, a new scarlet symbol appeared next to the Luster dragon before it formed into a new dragon. The dragon that appeared had a muscular red body and giant wings, its head had two sharp red eyes that looked out from a black skull with two huge horns, the creature definitely looked bigger and more threatening than any of Chazz's Armed Dragons. (2500/2000)

Yarou got to his feet slowly before looking up at the dragon with a small groan of discomfort as he clutched the blade that had embedded itself in the side of his rib cage, "I summon my Mr Volcano in attack mode" (2600/800)

A red haired man dressed in a white shirt and black trousers wearing a cloak. The man clicked his fingers and a flame appeared on the end of his finger.

"Now just try and attack me"

"Well I could or I could end my battle phase and play two more cards face down"

"I now sacrifice Mr Volcano to summon Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch in attack mode!" (2900/1000)

Like Zaborg the creature that appeared from the flames of the volcano had armour similar to a samurai's armour. It had huge spike covered arms and there was a fireball glowing in both hands.

"And he has an effect by being summoned I can select one card at random from your hand and discard it! If it's a monster then I can decrease your life points by 100 per level of the monster" Yarou declared, the monster landed before Rox and pointed to his hand of three cards.

"I select the one of the right" He declared. Rox didn't seem bothered as he put the card in his graveyard, "Now inflict the damage Thestalos!"

Thestalos didn't do anything except take a step backwards and land in front of Yarou.

"Who says the card I discard was a monster? And who says I didn't want that to happen?" Rox called out his voice filled with a little delight "The card you discarded is called Grave of the Dragon Slayer"

The ground shook beneath them before a giant golden tomb stone appeared on the field in front of Rox. It had the head of a dragon on the top of it with a sword through its head.

"Now usually if I activate it I can add a certain monster to my hand…but if it's discarded by your card effects I can special summon it to the field"

"Special summon what?"

"My Skull Knight Buster Blader" The tomb stone shattered in a stream of red light before it formed into a white armoured knight, well it would have been white armour if it were not for the blood that painted its armour in different tints. Its helmet was V shaped and broken in from one side to reveal a starch white skull beneath it. In its hands it held a menacing black blade that was even bigger than the creature that wielded it. It landed on the ground gripping the blade between both hands and raised it above its head. (2600/2300)

"Why should I care it's no match for my Firestorm Monarch?"

"True but the thing is he does come with an effect first of all he gains 500 for every dragon on your side of the field and graveyard"

"And I have none" Yarou replied his face blank.

"True but here's the thing my Skull Knight Buster Blader lets me sacrifice one of my dragons during my turn to also increase his attack by 500" Rox called out and pointed from Buster Blader to the Luster Dragon, "So next turn I'll sacrifice Luster to raise his attack power….unless.."

"I destroy him this turn" Yarou answered looking at the Buster Blade as it swung it's sword in a threatening manner.

"Yes and if you even try to do that then I will destroy you" He motioned to the two cards he had face down looking at him with a small smirk teasing on the corner of his mouth.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon on…" He looked from right on left at both of the cards before pointing at the one on the right "The right one"

A tornado appeared around the right face down card sending a bolt of lightning through it which disintegrated the card.

"Good you got rid of my Magicians Slight of Hand trap card!" He called out, "When this is destroyed by a magic card then I can draw cards until I have five cards in my hand"

Yarou watched as a trap card with two gloved hands shuffling a deck of cards appeared before shattering. Rox drew five cards from his deck, "And before you ask yes…yes I did set you up"

Yarou gave a growled of frustration before Rox threw up his hand to silence him, "But I am telling you the truth if you don't destroy my monster your going to lose next turn"

Yarou seemed to be struggling with his answer. Should he withhold an attack and hope he wouldn't be killed in the next turn? No that would be playing into his hand, he wanted him to not attack so that he could spare his buster blader for the next turn when he would use the ability to increase its attack points.

"I attack with my Monarch! Monarch Fire Storm Attack!" He yelled out and the Monarch rose its mighty arms, a ball of intense heat forming between its hands before it fired it in a spiral of fire.

"You were good to think your move over but I was prepared for either out come" Rox said the smirk on the corner of his mouth growing wider "I now activate my Blood Clan Vamperic Shield!"

A card with a picture of a vampire knight on it in black armour and holding a shield with a wicked face on it appeared. The same shield appeared on Buster Bladers arm, it shot a wave of darkness out which met the firestorm head on and forced it back towards the monarch.

"With this shield I can negate your attack and add half the attack power to my life points on top of that its attack is now halved until the end of your turn" The darkness wrapped around the Monarch turning it a darker shade of colour. (1450)

Rox's life points: 8700

"Fucking kid..." Yarou muttered bitterly looking through his hand. This was the difference between him and Rai, while she had relied on powerful strategies he worked on powerful offence. He was already feeling overwhelmed.

"I play two cards face down and end my turn" he spoke bitterly the colour returning to his Monarch as two cards appeared behind it. (2900)

"Well then" Rox began as he drew a card from his deck. He smirked before looking towards Chazz who was still collapsed on the floor, "Feel lucky that you're not going to die today"

He turned back towards Yarou before placing a card in his graveyard, "First I'm going to use my Blood dragon's ability and discard The Blood Clans Three Headed Behemoth to the graveyard (1500/900) so I can destroy any monster on the field with higher attack than my blood dragon!"

Yarou looked at his Monarch in alarm as the dragon rose above him its mouth opening and charging a ball of crimson flame in its mouth. It threw its head back letting out a deafening roar before throwing his head forward the fire ball launching at the Monarch and blowing it into pieces, shattered armour plates flying in all directions.

Yarou looked uneasily at the line of monsters ready to attack him, but it wouldn't matter how many they had he knew he would still be able to come back from this with the two cards he had face down.

"Those cards of yours aren't going to help you know" Rox called out his arms crossed. Yarou glared at him for a moment before suddenly noticing that the two dragons on Rox's side of the field were beginning to glow in a purple light.

"What's going on?" Yarou asked uneasily, Rox began to grin as he watched Yarou stir.

"Tell me Yarou did you and your sister ever plan on challenging the king of games himself?" Rox asked the grin widening as Yarou blinked at him confused, "Did you ever plan on taking down Yugi Moto?"

"In time we did!" Yarou snapped at him his fist clenched "But now I must be the one to do it because of that murderer!"

"You're a delusional" Rox replied ignoring the comment about Chazz "You don't have the talent to beat Yugi Moto if you can't beat the card I'm going to summon next…" Rox said as he placed down the card on his duel disk carefully.

"What have you just played!" Yarou demanded.

"Yugi Moto's favourite card"

"What? You mean the dark magician?" Yarou asked the tone of his voice suddenly changing to a mix of confusion and fear. The crowd around them began to chatter in excitement, they were going to see the Dark Magician.

"Well yes you are…but let me tell you that in my deck the Dark Magician went under a little change just like Buster Blader" Rox's smirk faded from his face "In my deck the two were reborn from the graveyard" He began to run his finger along the edge of his duel disk "One as an un dead warrior and one…as a vampire"

"A Vampire?" Bastion choked in shock the three of them now running down the stairs of the duel arena to get a closer look as fierce purple light enveloped the stage.

"I now sacrifice my Luster and Blood dragon to summon the legendary magician who has now been both blessed and cursed with the Vampire's bite!" The light tore away the two dragons now forming a figure in the middle of the light.

"I play The Vampire Magician" (2500/2300)

The light faded and revealed the dark magician himself. Dressed in his usual spell caster outfit but yet something was different. Instead of being purple his costume was completely black. His skin was deathly pale and eyes were red. He twirled his green staff in the air before bringing it down his mouth twisting into a grin to reveal a set of fangs.

"He really is a vampire!" Jaden exclaimed his eyes wide "This guy's deck is even more powerful than the last!"

"I feel hurt" A voice came from besides Jaden causing him to jump as he noticed that Al had appeared besides him. His Black Labrador at his feet who seemed to be watching the duel with interest.

"Well I mean it is impressive that's all-" Jaden began before noticing that Al wasn't paying attention. His face was blank as he watched the scene before them.

"Rox always liked the Dark Magician and Buster Blader but since Yugi Moto is perhaps the only one to possess such creatures Rox needed a new set…something to make him as much of a legend as Yugi Moto" He looked towards Jaden, Bastion and Tyranno still watching the display.

"Impressed?" Rox asked "Well you should also know this card comes with an ability that I can add any magic card with 'blood' in its title to my hand"

He looked through his deck before placing the card in his hand the smirk on his face now a wide grin, "But before I activate it I now play Polymerization to fuse both my monsters together…"

Yarou looked up in alarm as both monsters flew into the orange spiral merging together into purple and white light. It began to form into a figure before turning completely red and exploding in the air.

"From these two I've now created Blood Dragon Vampire Dracoia!" The new warrior fell onto his feet in front of Rox. Yarou's eyes widened.

"The Dark Paladin?" He called out confused. Sure enough the fusion looked exactly like the dark paladin minus the fact that instead of grey hair his was jet black and longer, his eyes were the same blood red and his teeth were all fangs as he grinned. His armour was blood red and he wore a tattered black cape. In his hand he held a long jagged dark red sword that he sliced through the air. He looked towards Yarou his tongue licking at his fangs. (2900/2500)

"By the way you should know that like the Dark Paladin he gains 500 for every dragon in my graveyard and your graveyard" The spirits of the former dragons began to swirl around Dracoia before they dived and plunged into the blood red sword.

(4600/2500)

"That's a lot of attack power…" Yarou breathed but kept reminding himself he still had the face down cards to rely on and his life points were still higher.

"True but remember when I brought a blood magic card to my hand? Well it's time I used it I play Possession Of The Blood Count" A magic card with a picture of a human being with glowing red eyes, bite marks on his neck and a shadow like creature in the background appeared.

"This can only be equipped to Blood Monsters and my life points have to be higher than yours…because you see with this I can take the spirit of the Blood Count himself and put it in Dracoia's body and raise his attack power by a number of life points I want to give up"

The shadow of Dracoia suddenly had two glowing red eyes. The very shadow itself suddenly rose from the floor becoming a silhouette creature. It opened its mouth to reveal fangs and bit into the neck of Dracoia. Dracoia didn't scream as it bit into him, he welcomed it.

"I give up 3700 of my life points" The shadow of the creature suddenly merged with Rox's shadow. A glowing red aura surrounded Rox before the shadow dove into the bite mark on Dracoia's neck.

Rox's life points: 5000

Dracoia's attack power: 8200

Yarou's life points: 7100

"Now I can take away all your life points! Dracoia attack!" The knight raised his sword a maniacal look on his face before he ran at Yarou with his sword out in front of him.

"First I activate poison of the old man to increase my life points by 1200 so even if you do attack me then I'll manage to survive with 100 of my life points!" A magic card with an old man holding strange vials appeared. One of the vials appeared above Yarou.

"I discard one card to the graveyard to stop the activation of your spell!" As he placed the card in the graveyard Dracoia held out his free hand. The same multicoloured light shone around the vial before it was smashed to pieces.

"And since I discarded my blood dragon level 4 he gains an extra 500 attack power" The spirit of the dragon appeared over Dracoia before it merged with the blade he held.

(8700)

"So your monster really is just like the legendary dark paladin" Yarou said trying hold back the stunned expression from behind his scarf.

"Yes he is but in most ways he's better" Rox answered his eyes narrowing on Yarou.

"It doesn't matter because I now activate widespread ruin that can destroy the monster on your side of the field with the strongest attack!" A trap card with a gigantic explosion on it flipped up. A bomb suddenly appeared before the card its fuse running out.

"Now you'll be defenceless! Blow him up!" The bomb exploded sending a massive explosion flying towards Dracoia. The crowd screamed as the explosion echoed through the duel arena, covering their ears or eyes as the explosion engulfed Dracoia.

"Now were even-" Yarou was cut off; the explosion was beginning to swirl as if it were caught in the middle of a tornado.

And then a clean hole was blown straight through its centre revealing an unharmed Dracoia standing with his sword held out in front of him. The explosion withered away as he swung his sword once more.

"What the hell just happened?" Yarou yelled out in alarm.

"This is why he's better Dracoia lets me discard cards not only to negate magic but trap cards as well" He placed his last card in the graveyard before looking towards Dracoia "I'll send to the grave another Blood Clan Luster dragon meaning he goes up by 500 more attack points"

(9200)

He pointed at Yarou his eyes narrowing on him; Dracoia swung his sword once more before pointing it towards him.

"Now attack" He commanded and Dracoia leapt into the air. The blade of his sword turned to a bloody red before he swung the sword. The red blade flew towards Yarou before exploding into thousands of blood coloured spears.

They flew towards him at an incredible speed. He screamed as he watched them fly towards him.

"Hit the lights" Rox muttered to one side.

The duel arena lights suddenly shut off. Screams of alarm echoing through out the darkness.

----

When the lights lifted Rox was holding his duel disk high, Yarou was lying on the ground in front of him. He did not move.

Yarou's life points: 0

"Well that's the end of that" Al sighed before walking away from Jaden.

"Hey wait a minute who the hell are you guys?" Jaden yelled after him, "That was a shadow game! Did he just kill Yarou? Why do you guys know about Shadow games?"

Al paused before turning slowly. His Black Labrador at his feet nuzzling against him. He blinked twice at Jaden before looking towards Bastion and Tyranno and the back at Jaden.

"Just who are you guys?" Jaden asked again his eyes narrowed on Al. Al took a breath before crossing his arms.

"We are the representatives of God, the symbols of divine punishment sent down to dispose of all heretics that oppose the word of our Lord" He said his face blank and emotionless as he stared at Jaden Yuki who now looked taken back by the sentence, Bastion and Tyranno looked towards each other with a clueless expression

"R…really?" Jaden asked his voice shaky.

"No I just like saying that" Al said turning his back to them, the three duellists looking at him blankly before growling in frustration.

Al looked back over his shoulder at Jaden, his eyes narrowed before he murmured; "Jaden Yuki I hope you are prepared to face the shadows one more time…because if any of you aren't ready then you shall die"

He left the three in silence. His Black Labrador at his heels. They couldn't help but shudder a little as the dog trotted past them at his side. It was like something cold had hit them in the spine.


	10. Cold Hell

_What really happened in the duel..._

_He pointed at Yarou his eyes narrowing on him, Dracoia swung his sword once more before pointing it towards him._

"_Now attack" He commanded and Dracoia leapt into the air. The blade of his sword turned to a bloody red before he swung the sword. The red blade flew towards Yarou before exploding into thousands of blood coloured spears._

_They flew towards him at an incredible speed. He screamed as he watched them fly towards him._

"_Hit the lights" Rox muttered to one side._

_The duel arena lights suddenly shut off. Screams of alarm echoing through out the darkness. But to Yarou those screams were unheard._

_He blinked and looked round. He realised now what had happened. Time had stopped. The lights were still on. In a few moments they would be shut off shielding the arena from whatever would happen to him now._

_Yarou looked out towards Rox. He already knew Rox was unaffected and neither was Dracoia. But Dracoia had still held back. The spears were mere inches away from piercing his body._

"_You are now going to talk who sent you?" Rox asked his voice now violent and dangerous._

"_Bite me" He let out a scream of pain as a spear went through his leg._

"_I can be more persuasive" He called out his arms crossed not caring that he was still bleeding from earlier._

"_Go to hell you son of a bitch!" Yarou yelled another spear pieced through his other leg, another two through both arms. Yarou roared in agony more spears rising above his body ready to plunge down._

"_Talk" He commanded his eyes narrowed threateningly "In here you won't die I can put as many holes through your body as I like…now talk…"_

---

And that was how Yarou was now locked up with bandages around his arms and legs. He had fainted when time had restarted. No one was allowed to question his injuries. He sat hand cuffed to a chair. That same day he had been taken off the island and thrown in a cell.

"I should have let him kill me Rai…"

He looked up as someone entered his cell. His eyes widened. A man wearing a white and black striped outfit was in the door way. His heart began to beat faster as the figure approached.

"Oh god no…please anything but that…"

The figure merely smirked as he kept walking forward before grabbing Yarou by the neck. He raised his other hand to Yarou's face revealing a scalpel.

"Eye for an eye they say" He chuckled into Yarou's ear before he sank the tip under the skin of his face.

His screams were left unanswered. The figure had already killed every security guard on patrol. Bodies hung, sliced up, broken or even ripped in half. But this wouldn't reach the newspapers.

The only people who would know about this would be the detective and clean up crew to get rid of the mess. They would be the ones who investigated the mass murder.

But two other people knew about what happened. Maxamillion Pegasus and Queen Axiss stood outside the cell that Yarou was supposed to be kept in.

"Their sick…" Axiss choked as she looked at the cell, not one part of the cell was not painted red, not one part of it did not drip with scarlet blood.

And as for Yarou? He sat exactly where he had been. Handcuffed to the chair he had been unable to escape from. But there were a few things missing. Like for instance both of his legs, a kidney, his heart, his lungs, his intestines.

But that despite its gruesomeness this was not what caused Queen Axiss to shudder or Maxamillion Pegasus to sweat nervously. It was the fact that Yarou's face was missing.

----

Alexis hadn't been present for Rox's duel. Sure she would miss out seeing one of the mysterious duellists in action, but this was far more important. The memorial plaque of James Henzo, a beautiful silver plaque grafted onto a marble stone with a sea serpent wrapped around it. Duel academy had gone out of its way to create it, Crowler had told everyone on the day it was built.

"_Our students are our life when one falls we feel a little less alive"_

It was an arty quote but appropriate. A crowd of duellists watched as the memorial was placed in a special area of duel academy island, a strip of land that cut through the sea like a rock bridge.

And that was why she was here with Gale, dressed in her normal uniform and a jacket. They were their to pay their respects. Six months had gone by and despite how many times Alexis had talked to Gale she wouldn't accept it.

"It is my fault Alexis" Gale mumbled her red hair covering her eyes as she looked at the memorial plaque with a face of stone. Every time she saw it she felt pain, but she had to keep doing this.

"Gale it's not your fault that that boy is dead" Alexis called out a pang of irritation in her voice, they went through this every time. Gale would arrive with her, she would look at the memorial and apologise to James Henzo before insulting herself.

"Yes it is my fault he's dead" She muttered bitterly her fist clenched. The moment was running through her head again and again.

_She would arrive at Duel Academy with a warm smile around her chatty friends. She looked through her cards and met new people. She would learn from her piers how a boy named Atticus was the heart throb of the school, then later learn it for herself as she saw the long brown haired teen walk past. She would sigh along with her friends. She would tell them she was just going to have a walk around the school corridors._

_She would smile as she would see the Duel Arena and watch with delight as the holographic monsters came to life. She would walk along the corridors taking it all in._

_She would walk down one and see the puppet, at the end of the corridor, waiting for her, watching her, preparing for her._

_She would scream in terror and make a break for it but immediately be knocked down by the second attacker. The stone grey skinned Mario laughing maniacally as he held her down. She would scream but fear was taking her voice away as the puppet circled above her it's badly drawn face giving off a mocking aura._

"_Your heart…it's so young…it would taste so good…" Mario would whisper and let the puppet pin her arms down while he would start to lift her woolly pink sweater her grandma knitted for her. She would final scream a new fear entering her._

_And then that boy would arrive. James Henzo would throw himself at the attacker his pale orange hair blowing about his eyes wide with fear but burning with anger. He would kick away the puppet and tell her to run._

_She would, but not without stealing a glance back at James Henzo. Where she would watch as the puppet would knock him to the ground._

_She would then run as fast as possible. She would find Crowler yelling her fear tainted words at him. He would call the other teachers at once. They would all follow her._

_They would turn the corner. And she would scream as loud as she could as they found the body of James Henzo with no arms or legs. Mario standing over him with his heart in his hand and the puppet circling James Henzo's body with its mouth chattering away with a wooden clunking sound._

_They would then disappear into the shadows before anyone could do anything._

_And she would stare into James Henzo's, blank dead eyes._

"And the rest of the school thinks it was me" Gale laughed with a chuckle her voice strained with tears. Six months and she still cried. It hurt so bad that a boy she didn't even know had gone and saved her life at the expense of his own.

"They don't" Alexis said as she walked to Gale's side looking at the memorial with a small frown, "I don't think it was you, my friends don't think you did it-"

"But as for the rest of the school they all think I killed him" She interrupted throwing her head back and laughing the tears running down her face, "They all want me dead cause I'm a cold murderer it's why I can't get any sleep, make any friends and it's even the reason why I'm still a slifer red" She gestured to herself forcefully showing the red uniform.

"I've won all my matches but they won't move me because they hate me" She called out with another laugh of hatred, "And I deserve it all"

Alexis let out a sigh. She couldn't convince her no matter what she said. She had tried too many times and failed, "Come on let's go back"

Gale nodded before laying down a rose on the memorial. She kept her eyes on the ground.

"You know a friend of mine blamed himself for someone's death you know" Alexis spoke quietly as they began to walk away from the memorial, "He blamed himself, he wouldn't eat or sleep properly and he said he wanted to die"

Gale looked sideways at Alexis the glum look still on her face, "And what did it mean to you when he said that"

"It broke my heart" Alexis replied, she never glanced at Gale "Just know that it does the same to someone else when you say that"

Gale fell silent as they kept walking.

But this silence did not last. A cold shiver ran down Alexis's spine as she felt the wind pick up. She looked round and saw a grey fog coming towards them, a very fast moving grey fog.

"Gale…run" Alexis whispered. Gale looked up at her before back at the fog. Her jaw dropped and her face twisted up into fear.

"No…not again…" She whispered before the two of them ran as fast as they could towards the island. The mist caught up in seconds swirling around them like a fierce storm.

They stopped running unable to see the land in front of their eyes, "Gale don't scream…" Alexis whispered to her.

The mist vanished, they now could see that the sunny sky had been replaced with storm clouds that blocked out the light. But that wasn't important. All they needed to know was one thing.

They were surrounded.

Gale bit into her tongue so hard that she felt blood trickle out of it. For now surrounding them and taking up the whole of the bridge. Were rotten corpses and they were all stood up.

"Zombies…" Alexis whispered trying to keep strong as she looked at the moaning hideous corpses that moved around them slowly. Their flesh green and brown and clothes tattered. Some had no mouths, some had an eye missing, some had an arm or a leg broken in a horrific way. She felt sick as she saw one of them with its rib cage torn open revealing his organs to the world.

"_Part_..._"_

A voice called over the Zombies and they began to part down the centre to reveal their master. A man with shaved white hair and mismatched coloured eyes was grinning at them in a sick way. He had a huge built up body and was dressed in white and black striped clothes, he had his hand on one of the Zombies shoulders.

"Hello you lovely ladies" He called towards them running his tongue over his lips as he waggled his eyebrows.

Alexis shuddered in disgust, "Who are you? What do you want?"

"You'll get no answers from me girl" He chuckled, "But maybe this boy here would be of use?" he asked placing both hands on the zombie's shoulders.

He dwarfed the Zombie. The Zombie was barely half his size, he could have been a child when he was alive.

"Wake up child" he spoke into his rotten ear. The zombie's head snapped up yellow eyes wide.

And Gale screamed.

"James Henzo" Alexis whispered her eyes wide with shock as she looked at the boy. His face and head were perfectly intact; his hair had dulled a colour and looked like in it. His arms and legs however weren't his own, one arm looked as if it had belonged to an adult man while the other was a shorter arm looking like it belonged to a child. His legs were the same size but one of them was broken. He swayed a little his mouth opened slightly. There was a hole in his chest where Mario had ripped out his heart, a hideous unfilled hole that dripped with rotten blood.

"James…" Gale whispered tears running from her bright eyes "James I'm sorry I'm so sorry I'm so so sorry"

The zombie pointed towards them. Its fingers clicked. The zombies began to close in around them.

"Gale" Alexis whispered alarmed as she looked around.

Gale paid no attention, "I'm so sorry James I'm so sorry please I'm so so sorry"

"Gale! Run!" Alexis yelled before grabbing her wrist and pulling her with her as fast as she could.

They ran for the opening in the zombie horde towards James Henzo and the strange sick criminal. They were going to be able to make it so long as they could split up at the last second.

But that wasn't going to happen as the criminal looking man behind the Zombie James Henzo suddenly jumped over him. He held out both arms before punching both girls square in the stomach.

They let out a strangled gasp of pain. Alexis fell back on the floor clutching his stomach. Gale almost lost balance but the brute reached forward and grabbed her by the neck.

"You've got a pretty face like her…I want to cut it off you" He spoke into her ear as he raised her off the ground. She tried to scream as she kicked and struggled. He reached into the pocket of his black and white striped trousers and took out a scalpel. He raised it to her face, she tried to scream but his grip was too tight.

"Don't struggle I don't want your body just your face" he whispered in a sick reassuring voice before he grinned his eyes widened in a maniacal look.

"H…he..lp…" she choked the blade lowered to the side of her cheek.

And then the brute let go giving a yell out pain as he fell to his knees. Something had just hit him in the back of the head. Alexis's eyes widened as she saw who had just thrown a rock at their attackers head.

"Syrus?" she murmured in awe.

Sure enough Syrus stood just a few metres behind James Henzo with a rock in his hand, his eyes narrowed on the attackers.

"Leave them alone" he called out his grip tightened around the rock as he pulled his arm back, "I can throw this next one pretty hard too"

The brute got to his feet slowly the scalpel in his hand. He turned towards Syrus, there was a twitch in one eye, "You…little…fucker"

Syrus threw the next rock but it never met its target. The brute moved extremely fast. He had already dodged the rock and appeared before Syrus, "This is for trying to save that red head of yours" he spoke.

Syrus looked up at him his eyes wide behind his the glasses that almost dropped off his nose. He was about to speak before he felt the brutes fist in his stomach.

"Syrus!" Alexis cried out in fear her hands over her mouth. She could see what had happened. The brute hadn't hit Syrus he had stabbed him.

Syrus looked down at the scalpel now embedded in his stomach; he felt his body tense up with shock. He couldn't breath.

Gale was on her knees her eyes wide as she watched Syrus fall to his knees. He had saved her just like James and now he was going to die, "I…I'm sorry…Syrus" she spoke her eyes filling with tears.

Syrus looked towards Gale a little smile teasing the side of his mouth, "It doesn't matter…if I die here…maybe…maybe they'll make a nice plaque for me too…and you'll lay flowers out for me" he managed to smile at her before looking towards Alexis.

"Alexis...run" he called out before the brute punched him in the face. He fell backwards off the scalpel. The brute chuckled menacingly turning back towards Gale.

"Where were we…" He began.

But he was interrupted again. A bolt of lightning hit the ground next to them. The ocean around them turning a colour of red, the clouds in the sky turning purple and the dirt below them a cold blue.

"The shadow realm?" He asked in a whisper, "James? You summoned the shadow realm?" he asked looked towards the Zombie who was now staring at Gale its eyes narrowed.

"I see…good boy…" The brute chuckled before he began walking away, "Gale is it? Do you have your deck on you?" he asked looking over his shoulder "I believe James Henzo here wants to challenge you"

Gale looked from the Brute to James her mouth open in shock, "But…I don't…I can't…"

"If you don't we'll kill you" The brute called back as he continued to walk away.

"I'll duel him" Alexis called out "I have my deck!"

The crowd of Zombies turned towards her. The brute stopped, "I think that won't satisfy him"

"If I lose you can kill us both!" She yelled out getting to her feet. Her stomach felt bruised and it was painful to breathe but she didn't let that bother her, "Just give me a duel disk!"

There was a silence. The zombies looked from James Henzo to the brute. James Henzo was still staring down Gale.

"Get James and that girl a duel disk" The brute ordered, the zombies began to shuffle about before two of them walked forward to each of them with a duel disk.

Alexis tried not to look at the zombie that carried hers as she pulled out her deck from her jacket. She took the duel disk from the zombie quickly before strapping it on her arm.

Gale was still looking up at James. She looked back and fourth from him to Syrus who lay very still behind him. His nose was bleeding and the wound in his stomach was getting blood all over his yellow uniform, but he was breathing.

James had now strapped the duel disk on his arm and began to walk forward. He motioned to a nearby zombie who walked forward with a limp. He punched the zombie causing it to let out a groan of pain before its mouth opened. His arm shot out and ripped out the lower jaw of the creature before shoving it backwards. He now had what he needed, a tongue which he immediately tore off and put into his mouth.

"Let's begin" he called out. His tone was filled with the chorus of a thousand other voices.

"The rules are that if you lose you die, if you give up you die and finally you both duel with 4000 life points…" The brute called out before turning back to them, "Enjoy" he called out before he took a few steps back into a dark vortex that had appeared. In a few moments he disappeared.

"James…why are you doing this?" Alexis called out as she looked at the undead boy.

"I hate this…" he replied as he drew five cards "I hate death…I hate how I had life…I hate how it was taken away…I want it back…I don't want to be remembered in death I want to be remembered alive" he looked back at Gale who was crawling slowly towards Syrus.

"I saved her but I lost my own life…how is that fair!" He yelled out at Alexis his rotten fist clenched "And that's why I'm doing this! Because I want life back and I don't care how I get it!"

Alexis looked at him her eyes softened "I know it's not fair and we want things to be different but-"

"Save it!" He yelled out before slamming a card down on the activated duel disk, "Your words mean nothing!"

Alexis's life points: 4000

James's life points: 4000

"I play the Light House that Guards the Abyss!" He called out and a card with a black and white light house on it appeared. The same light house rose from the ground in front of him. (0/2000)

"I play a face down card and end my turn"

Alexis drew five cards before looking up at the light house. She didn't understand why he had played such a card in attack mode, but she wasn't going to just wait and find out.

"I summon my Blade Skater in attack mode!" The ground before her lit up before a purple woman appeared with blades on her arms and ice skates. (1400/1500)

"I play Torrential Tribute!" he called out and the same blue force erupted from the middle of their rocky battle field. The light house fell down under the strain of the power while blade skater was simply swept away.

"Well that was a good move but the problem is that I'm prepared" Alexis called out "I play my Cyber Angel ritual card and sacrifice my Cyber Gymnast to summon Cyber Angel Idaten!" (1600)

An eruption of light appeared on the field before the rock below them turned to a silver colour. A woman with a strange futuristic helmet on and pink coloured skin appeared on the field in front of Alexis.

"And she has an effect that allows me to bring one spell card back from the grave so I'll bring back my cyber angel ritual card!" Alexis called out before adding a card to her hand.

"Then I'll play one card face down" she called out before placing a card face down on the field.

James didn't say anything as he drew a card, "My turn and I activate the effect of my destroyed light house"

A beam of light suddenly appeared on the field around James. Alexis let out a groan of discomfort as she shielded her eyes.

"With this…I can immediately summon to the field any Zombie monster from my deck so long as I halve my life points" James called out, his skin began to peel of his legs as the effect took place chunks of flesh falling off his legs.

James's life points: 2000

Alexis's face twisted up before her eyes widened as the ocean water around them grew fiercer, and then she remembered. James was an ocean duellist. Since when did he use Zombie cards.

"Wait since when did you start using Zombies?" She called out.

"When I died my deck died with me…" James called out before water from the ocean suddenly splashed over the land in front of him, "Now I'm going to summon my Ghost Ship of the Damned Abyss"

A huge wave suddenly built up by the side of them before a huge cruise ship emerged from the water. It was a huge metal structure with bloody patches all over it, but what stood out was that on the front of it was a huge metal skeleton as a figure head.

(2700/0)

"What is that?" She called out stunned as she looked at the haunted cruise ship. The skeleton raised its metal head and laughed in a threatening manner.

"This guy has the ability to summon four more monsters to the field so long as he doesn't attack and I can't attack you directly" He called out before slapping down four cards "So I now summon Undead Merman…"

A zombie merman dived out of the waters and onto the land. His skin was grey and the lower half of his body looked like it had been sown back onto his upper half. He held a trident in his right hand (1600/0)

"My Abyss Guide…"

A small rowing boat appeared out of another wave and a small rowing boat appeared on the field next to the merman. In it was a dark hooded figure that didn't reveal his face. (1500/600)

"My Skull Cannon…"

Another wave broke on the surface of the rock battle field and a skeleton dressed in a pirates uniform appeared next to a huge metal cannon with a skeleton's head on the end of it. (1800/1000)

"And finally my Death Swipe Captain"

One final wave broke on the surface of the land before a zombie with blue skin dressed in a sea captain's uniform. It had rapier swords for hands and a wooden leg. (2300/300)

"What's the point of all this?" She called out as she looked towards him "None of them have any attack power to rival my angels attack power and plus you have only one card left in your hand?"

"Well first off you should know that my Abyss Guide allows me to look through your hand and discard any magic card I chose" Alexis panicked as the Machine Angel Ritual card in her hand forcefully escaped her grip and flew into her graveyard.

"And finally this one card can help me because it's called the Ocean Anger card" he slapped down the magic card before smirking as a magic card with a picture of a stormy ocean with a skull like head hidden in the waves appeared.

"This makes all the cards on my side of the field and yours get instantly destroyed and for every one of them you lose 400 life points" A huge wave suddenly began to build at the end of the rocky platform.

It rose into the air above a skull like face appearing in it. Alexis barely had time to swear before it came crashing down on all of them.

She had barely anytime to react as it came crashing down on her. She was thrown hard against the rock. She felt her bones crack with the force of the wave. She let out a cry of pain that was gargled under the water. She choked; she began to kick out fighting against the water.

Her hands met with solid land and she was thrown forcefully onto its surface. She coughed and spluttered on her hands and knees. Her body was racked with pain, one of her ribs were cracked maybe more, her shoulders were definitely hurt somehow and on top of all of that she had swallowed far too much water.

She looked onwards. James Henzo still stood in the exact place he had always been standing, his rotten yellow eyes narrowed on her. His body drenched with water and his field empty.

Alexis's life points: 1600

"Wait…where's Gale and Syrus? Are they safe?" She called out before coughing up a huge mouthful of salt water. Her eyes stung, she felt ill.

"Their fine…" he muttered. Sure enough Gale and Syrus were behind him. Gale had taken off her red Slifer jacket and was now holding it to Syrus's wound. She looked over towards Alexis giving her a reassuring nod.

"You may want to know that Ocean Anger also has one more effect and it's that I'm able to summon a water type monster from my deck so long as the level stars of all my destroyed monsters are more than double that of the card.

He searched through his deck before drawing a card "Which means now I summon the monster Cthulhu Leviathan" he called out before slapping the card down.

There was a roar on the horizon before a huge hole opened up in the waters next to the rock platform. Alexis turned and reeled as she watched a terrifying creature emerge from its center. It was like a creature made from sea weed that had a dragon like head but with no eyes and there were tentacles coming from its chin. It had huge arms and its fingers were also tentacle like. Its skin was rotten and grey; it began to haul itself out of the water landing behind James. (1000/1000)

"This guy gets 500 attack and defense points for every water type monster in the graveyard so since I have five water monsters and my light house is an earth type he has 3500 attack power" The monster roared lifting its head back as more tentacles sprouting from the bottom of its jaw. (3500/3500)

"Now since you have no monsters on your side of the field and my Ghost Ship's effect is still in play I have no choice but to end my turn"

Alexis looked up at the monster. She was still on her knees; she tried to get up slowly but screamed in pain as she felt her ankle give way and break. She was in no condition to continue but she didn't have a choice.

"I…I play stray lambs which allows me to play two sheep tokens" She called out fighting the tears that threatened to break out from the pain as two sheep like creatures appear on the field in defense mode. (0/0)

She couldn't have done anymore she only had a few cards in her hand. Two monsters, one that needed to fuse with blade skater to actually get a result, a polymerization that was now useless and a ritual monster, but because of the effect of the undead merman she couldn't summon it anyway because she lacked the card to do so.

And on top of all that she was hurt, she didn't want to move anymore than she had to.

"You're going to die" he spoke as he drew a card "By the way I should have mentioned my monsters other effect…every time I draw the card gets immediately sent to the graveyard so I now can discard my Zombie Mermaid to the graveyard" He placed the card in the graveyard before looking towards her.

"And this raises his stats by another 500 points" (4000/4000) He looked at the sheep tokens before pointing towards one of them.

"Attack" The beast's tentacles lashed out at the sheep slicing it in two, "This is hopeless…your dead…all that crap you said now has no meaning because no one will be around to remember it"

Alexis drew a card slowly propping herself up on one leg.

"Your going to die and be like me…people will cry when your gone…you'll probably have a memorial like me" He continued "You'll miss out on all the joys of life…you'll never graduate, you'll never find true happiness, you'll never grow up, get married or have children"

She tried to block out the words. She wanted to get up but the pain was too fierce.

"You'll never be able to be with the people you love ever again"

Her eyes widened at that point. Something snapped inside her head. The words were unleashing something powerful and hate filled. Her body now ignored the pain as she rose to her feet. She glared across at him her eyes burning with anger filled tears.

"You…evil…hate filled…brat!" She yelled out before drawing a card forcefully, "We cried for you! We mourned your death! You were this schools loss! People wept for you! Gale has hated herself ever since you died and blamed her for your death!" She yelled at him before slapping down a card.

"We hated how you had been taken away! Jaden hated it too! And the result of that was he killed the same person who killed you! He hated himself! He wanted to die! And I couldn't take it! I didn't want to see Jaden hate himself so much!" Tears were running down her face "And now you come back and you want to kill us! The people whose lives are in so much pain because of your heroic act! You're no better than the guy that killed you!"

James's eyes widened as he watched Alexis stand up straight. She must have been in a world of pain. His eyes narrowed on her, "What would you know! What would you know about death! You don't know how bad it feels!"

"I don't but I know that in death you could look on your grave knowing that you saved a life and you were loved by so many people!" She yelled at him, "So why don't you think about all of that on your way back into death! I play pot of greed to get me to draw two more cards!"

She drew two more cards before slapping one of them down "And now I play my ritual sanctuary card!" A wedding chapel suddenly materialized behind her "With this card I can bring a ritual spell card to my hand like another of my angel ritual cards so long as I discard a spell card from my hand like Polymerization!"

She discarded the card before searching through her deck "Now I play Machine Angel Ritual! And I'll discard my Etoile Cyber, Cyber tutu and my last sheep token to bring out my Cyber Angel Dakini!" Three monster spirits suddenly began to form in front of her into one monster, a woman with four arms, blue skin and orange armor. She held two swords in two of her hands while she held a staff in the other two. (27002400)

"And this makes it so you have to destroy your monster!" The woman twirled her staff once before shooting a giant blue beam from it which made a hole in the centre of its chest. It fell to the ground hard before slipping into the water. It's blood drenching the rock surface.

"Now it's your turn!" She yelled out the fire burning in her eyes as she pointed to James who was now looking at her stunned.

"But…I'll die…" he spoke quietly stunned his yellow eyes wide.

"Stay that way!" She yelled out and her Cyber Angel jumped into the air above before bringing down the swords.

There was a pause as the monster landed in front of James. He blinked twice.

"Sorry" was all he managed to say before his body fell to pieces in front of her, his body parts were then swept away by the sea.

Alexis then collapsed to her knees as she felt the pain she had been repressing for so long suddenly flare up. She let out a cry of pain before weeping. She wasn't crying because she had killed, maybe it was because the pain was just too fierce. She knew the reason but managed to get a hold of herself and look towards Gale and Syrus.

Gale still held the jacket to his body; her back was turned away from the duel.

"Gale I won" she called out but kept crying.

Gale got up slowly before looking towards her. She was afraid she was going to be looking at James Henzo's dead body but instead just saw Alexis. She gave a sigh of relief before running to her side and helping her up.

"How's Syrus?" she asked in between breaths.

"He's alive…" she spoke looking at the floor "But he's still hurt…no thanks to-"

"Gale" Alexis groaned silencing Gale "…I'm hurt…please just drop me near Syrus and call for help"

Gale said nothing until they got to Syrus, but they found out they weren't alone. Someone was stood over Syrus, wrapping something around his waist.

"Hey get away from him!" Alexis yelled the stranger got to their feet before looking towards her.

"You need help getting back to duel academy…" The figure murmured before looking towards them.

As the storm clouds cleared away from the sky the face of one of the mysterious duelists appeared, he had spiky hair and was wearing a smart blazer but under it he wore spiky gloves and dog tags.

"Hello again…I'm Rale" he spoke before picking up Syrus "He's lost some blood but he'll be fine and as for you I don't want you moving with those broken bones of yours"

"I'll be fine I can make it so long as Gale helps me" Alexis said with a slight tone of annoyance in her voice.

She didn't mean to take out how she was feeling at the time on Gale or Rale but what James had said back then had just made her snap. She now knew that she couldn't mourn James Henzo like everyone else.

After all

Now she was the one who killed him.


	11. Hurt

Chazz Princeton couldn't feel any lower than he did right now. He had stopped laughing and crying after the duel between Rox and Yarou but he still felt the same way as he had before. He had taken the life of a woman, perhaps if he had thought it over a few moments before he attacked he would have decided that it was war and he had to attack. But he knew that wasn't going through his head as he ordered the attack, he had been full of rage; he had wanted to attack and kill Rai.

How was he supposed to feel now?

He knew one thing as he sat on a chair in the infirmary of Duel Academy. He actually wished the Ojama's would talk to him.

"Yellow?" he asked quietly, "Green? Black?"

No one appeared. No laughs or cheers in their signature annoying tones. His body shook a little before his head sprung up at the sound of a voice.

"Chazz I'm concerned"

It was the infirmary nurse who was now looking through the papers of the tests she had tried on him.

"You're under a lot of stress" she said as she flipped through them "Your body seems to be destroying itself with all the pressure you're going through is something wrong?" She asked in a concerned tone.

He couldn't reply. How could he? His reply would be 'I've killed someone and I feel terrible, help me god help me' how could he explain that?

"Chazz I want you to take it easy take your lessons off and hang around with your friends" She said with a small smile, he couldn't help but smile a little back despite how bad he felt inside.

How could he face his friends now? He was a murderer if he told them that then he would never be able to face them. There was only one person who knew what happened; Rox. And why hadn't he handed Chazz in? Why did he challenge him in the first place?

"If you still feeling this way maybe you should go home for a while-" she began before the doors of the infirmary burst open.

"We have two people who've just been attacked" The voice of Rale explained his tone strong, the woman's jaw dropped as Rale strode in and placed the wounded boy onto one of the infirmary beds.

"What in the name of hell happened to him?" She exclaimed now turning away from Chazz and rushing over to the bedside.

"He's been stabbed with a scalpel about fifteen millimeters long it went in fourteen millimeters it's probably touched something" He replied as he straightened the boy out undoing his jacket to reveal the wound on the boys stomach.

He then walked over towards the door to help carry in the next patient. She was limping and letting out groans of pain, "She fell into the ocean she's got a few cracked ribs, her shoulders are bruised maybe in the same condition and she has one broken ankle"

He explained the condition like they were in a hospital emergency room as he lay her down taking off her jacket, "Gale I need you to go tell Crowler what's happened to the them tell him to contact their families as soon as possible"

Gale nodded before running out of the room. Chazz noticed for a minute that her eyes had looked briefly towards the bed the wounded boy lay on. Who was that? And why did he feel so much fear enter his body.

He looked more closely at the body. Rale was blocking his view. He looked towards the other body that lay on the bed groaning, the nurse was now seeing to her. He got up slowly, Rale moved out the way.

"Syrus!" Chazz exclaimed as he looked at the pale face of Syrus, his nose and mouth bleeding and blood running from his stomach. What had happened to him? Had Rale said he had been stabbed?

He looked at the other bed the fear running down his body, "Alexis" he breathed. The nurse was now filling up a syringe with a clear liquid and tensing Alexis's arm.

Rale now seemed to realize that Chazz existed and walked over to him taping him on the shoulder before whispering into his ear.

"Chazz both of them are hurt I need you to go get Jaden Yuki and Atticus Rhodes now"

Chazz turned to him his mouth hung open "What happened to them?"

Rale looked him in the eye before murmuring the word low enough so the nurse couldn't hear, "Alexis just played a shadow game and won"

Chazz's eyes widened in shock. Alexis had played a shadow game like the one he had played and survived. She was ok. But then that would mean that she had won the duel. She had killed someone just like he had! She was a murderer!

"No…no not Alexis…don't tell me she's kil-" He began but Rale seemed to glare at him forcefully before taking him by the shoulder.

"Damn it Chazz this is not the time" He breathed forcefully "Listen to me Chazz these are scary times and I'm sorry what Rox put you through but let me tell you"

He lowered himself to Chazz's ear "We need people like you! We need you to stay strong and fight with us! You have done nothing wrong you need to keep fighting or people will die"

The words were strong and firm but wise. Although he may not understand why he needed to fight with them he knew that for now his own guilt would have to wait.

"I'll go get Jaden and Atticus"

"Good man" Rale said with a nod before hurrying to Syrus's side as Chazz left.

Chazz ran down the corridor as fast as he could. But he did stop. He felt something warm in his black trench coat pocket. He reached inside before taking out his deck. He looked at the card on the bottom of it, Ojama King. Grinning at him with his thumbs up.

He couldn't help but smile. The message was loud and clear, 'Be strong Boss'.

----

"When did this happen?" Crowler asked sitting behind his desk, Pegasus sat in front of it with a glass of wine in his hand looking back at Rale who had just entered the room.

"About an hour ago sir they need doctors" Rale spoke his voice polite but firm.

"Very well I'll send for the medical attention to be flown in and alert their families" Crowler said with a nod before picking up the phone on his desk.

"Before you do sir I have to ask you for a request" Rale spoke, the positive tone that suddenly pricked up in his voice seemed to confuse Crowler.

"A request?" he asked an eyebrow raised in reply.

"Zane Truesdale" Rale replied with a nod "I wish for him to be flown in"

"Are you thinking of challenging him?" Crowler asked a sudden spark of interest flickering in his eyes from the thought of a money making idea.

"Not sure" was the simple reply from Rale causing Crowler to stare at him blankly.

"You believe he should be here to pick up Syrus?" He asked the enthusiasm in his voice now gone.

"No personally I don't even think Syrus or Alexis should leave the island" Rale's positive tone had now left him as he looked at Crowler.

"Good grief boy whatever for?"

"I understand what he's talking about Chancellor Crowler" Pegasus suddenly spoke out from behind his glass of wine with a small smile "And I believe he is right"

"But Mr Pegasus we have two injured students on our hands!" Crowler spoke up in surprise as he looked from Rale to Pegasus.

"And I will fill you in on exactly why they must stay here as soon as young Rale here leaves" Pegasus spoke calmly as he swirled the wine a little.

Crowler looked from Pegasus to Rale. Neither of them gave anything away, "Very well but I'm not sure their parent's will see it that way"

"They don't need to Sir" Rale said with a nod before walking out of the room.

"Now Mr Pegasus" Crowler spoke as he turned to him "Just what is going on?"

---

Jaden stood outside of the infirmary. A small note of paper in his hands, Chazz stood next to him with a frown on his face.

"So Atticus isn't here?"

"No he left the other day for a tournament in New York…he'll probably just duck out at the last minute though"

"Just so long as he gets here"

Jaden looked to one side towards Chazz a frown on his face "Are you ok Chazz?"

"Of course why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you've won a shadow game" Jaden spoke watching as Chazz tensed up, "its ok I heard that you had been going through the same thing I had...just wanted you to know-"

"Save it" Chazz said firmly before turning to Jaden "Jaden those duelists…you know for a fact that they've seen a shadow game more than once"

Jaden nodded slowly, "Yeah…they've probably killed too"

"I think it's time we joined them"

"Joined them? Chazz are you crazy I don't want to kill someone again!"

"Jaden don't you see!" Chazz snapped at him "There's something going on here! Alexis and Syrus got hurt today in one of those games! They're just innocent bystanders in those duelists war and the same goes for you"

"What about you?"

"I'm already part of them" he spoke as he looked to one side, "Jaden we need to be prepared for what's going to come next…I'm sure that if were with them then it's more likely that we won't have to sleep with one eye open at night"

Jaden looked at him, he was stunned at how Chazz could be so excepting of it. He was right, he knew he was right but that didn't make it ok for them to join people that were so dangerous.

"If we don't at least have them on our side Jaden our friends might get hurt again" Chazz spoke his back turned towards him.

"Go inside and check on Syrus and Alexis tell her what happened with Atticus and tell Syrus Zane's on his way"

He nodded slowly. The door of the infirmary opened, he looked at Chazz who had now begun walking down the corridor. Chazz was free to do whatever he wanted, but as for him he needed more time.

---

"How you doing Syrus?" Jaden asked; he was sat down next to Syrus's bedside with a small smile.

"Well I've been better…my head hurts a bit" Syrus said quietly looking towards Jaden with a slight smile on his face.

"Never mind the head" Jaden said with a weak chuckle.

A nurse was currently leaning over Syrus. She was stitching up the stab wound in his stomach. He had been lucky the scalpel hadn't managed to slice into his organs. So far the only problem was the loss of blood and punch to his face.

"Maybe you should get some rest Syrus" Jaden said with a warm smile, he nodded before shutting his eyes.

"Tell me…was I stupid or brave?" Syrus asked quietly.

"Both" Jaden said with a small chuckle "But don't worry being brave is double being stupid"

Syrus let out a small chuckle. In only moments he was fast asleep, maybe the nurse had given him something or maybe he was tired from the excitement and blood loss.

At least he was alright was what went through.

Jaden looked towards Alexis. She had her eyes shut but there was something about her that said that she wasn't asleep, "Alexis?"

She didn't reply. Maybe she was just tired? He sat down on the chair in between the two infirmary beds.

"Are you ok?" A stupid question but he didn't like the silence.

"What happened?"

"Jaden" Alexis spoke her eyes opening, she didn't look at him.

"Yeah?" He asked turning towards her the small smile on his face. That small smile was suppressing everything, the fear and the guilt all forced down. If that slipped he may start telling her how he wished he was there and prevented everything from happening.

"Please…don't talk to me right now…" She spoke her eyes shinning a little in the light.

Her words were firm and they hurt but he couldn't let the smile slip. He nodded slowly before turning away.

"Do you mind if I stay here?" he asked her despite the fact he was looking at the floor.

She didn't reply or look at him. He looked at her from out of the corner of his eye and watched her eyes glisten. She was upset, but she didn't want to talk to him. He found it a little funny how a moment ago he thought he couldn't feel any worse and now it doubled inside.

But this wasn't the time to scold or argue. His friends were hurt.

----

"Tormentors Mr Pegasus?" Crowler asked an eyebrow raised as he looked at the man as he swiped his wine.

"Yes…tormentors…those who have been given the power of the shadow realm through an unknown presence" he spoke calmly his eyes closed.

"And who is that presence?"

Pegasus raised an eyebrow as he looked towards Crowler, "That would be why it's unknown Chancellor Crowler"

Crowlers mouth hung open in a dumb expression before his head snapped up and he shook his head.

"I mean…do you have any connections!" he asked his tone embarrassed and flustered.

"A criminal...nameless…that's all" Pegasus spoke lowering the glass and setting it on the table.

"He's been recruiting people?"

"Yes and what could be his latest recruit causes concern" Pegasus murmured now reaching down and picking up a paper file which lay at his feet.

"Really Mr. Pegasus?" Crowler asked an eyebrow raised, "Well duel academy has had its share of vampires, dueling monkeys and destruction monsters before it's certainly nothing we can't handle-"

"Chancellor Crowler" Pegasus interrupted in a firm tone as he opened the file and threw it onto his desk, "This is a person who likes to strap people to chairs and torture them with power drills"

Crowlers eyes shot open as he saw the photos, corpses. All strapped to chairs with their hands and legs tied up. Holes all over their bodies, "What must be done?"

---

Jaden entered the infirmary slowly. His eyes looked around the room. Syrus was asleep, the nurse wasn't about. And Alexis was the way she had been when he left, awake staring at the ceiling.

He entered slowly shutting the door behind him, he looked towards Alexis. She wasn't how he had left her. She was crying, her hands covering her face sobbing quietly into her palms.

"Alexis?" Jaden called out softly as he began to walk towards her.

She groaned covering her face with both arms, "Jaden don't look at me"

"Why?" Jaden asked an eyebrow raised in surprise.

"Just don't! And I told you I didn't want to talk to you!" She snapped at him waving a hand forcefully towards him to shoo him away but never looking up.

All but Alexis's sobbing was all that could be heard now. Jaden just stood speechless his mouth hung open in confusion. He gulped before asking slowly, "Alexis what have I done?"

There was no reply at first Alexis just choked before murmuring, "Please Jaden"

"Alexis please just tell me what happened" Jaden spoke taking a step forward his eyes filled with concern. He now noticed the damage on her body. The casts and the bandages that were holding her together. The tears, the pain, it explained it all.

"You were in one of those shadow games…" He spoke slowly, inside of him his stomach lurched and turned with uncontrollable guilt and rage. He should have been there. It has another friend he hadn't been there for, first Chazz and now Alexis!

"You…you played one of the ones with the real blood and the real pain…" Jaden spoke, it wasn't that he was stating the obvious. He was telling himself his mistake.

"Jaden stop…" Alexis murmured still not looking up. She wanted to cover her ears but she didn't want to move anymore than she already had.

"I'm sorry…I should have been there" he spoke his fists clenching. Alexis had helped him why the hell hadn't he been there? It was because of him that now she was broken and in tears.

"No…Jaden!" She choked her head snapping up ignoring the pain of the bruise on the back on her head that sent a shooting pain through her.

"Don't say that" she said gulping on her tears. He could now see her face, that beautiful face stained with a flow of crystal tears. A pain went through him. Something that hit so deep he wasn't even sure why it hurt so much. He was left speechless as he stared at her.

She took a breath before murmuring as she looked down avoiding Jadens glance, "It was Henzo…"

"What?" Jaden spoke in surprise an eyebrow raised.

"It was James Henzo…he…he came back and I killed him" She spoke her fists clenching slowly while her body shook tears dripping off her cheeks.

"No…you couldn't have…you wouldn't kill someone" Jaden spoke tenderly now taking his place next to her before sinking to her eye level his eyes full of concern.

"I did…" she replied in a choked whisper.

"But you would never-"

"I did Jaden" She interrupted a stinging pain behind her tear strained voice, "I killed him…"

"I killed him without the slightest bit of remorse…I hate him even now" Her tone reeked of a darkness that seemed to feed the pain they felt.

"You hate him? No…you…don't hate" Jaden began to stutter slowly as if unable to understand, "Hate…that's such a harsh word for you"

He gave a little smile before reaching forward slowly "You're a nice person you wouldn't want to hurt someone" he spoke as he slowly took one of her hands in his.

She was cold and shivering. The moment his hand touched hers she flinched as if it sent pain through her body. She closed her hand around his, just for a few seconds, taking in that comforting feeling that she felt the last time he held her hand.

And then she let go. She wouldn't fool herself. She couldn't take comfort in him. And the more she realised it the more it hurt, she couldn't take comfort from Jaden of all people. She swallowed before speaking slowly in a dark tone; "I hate him Jaden and I killed him"

"No you-"

"I killed him Jaden!" She interrupted in a sudden burst of anger as she looked him in the eye. She eyes were wide with anger and pain. The tears that stained her cheeks seem less sad and more hate filled.

Jaden just stared back. He didn't reel in shock nor did he make any attempt to console her. He just stared back at her blankly.

"And what's worse…what's worse…" she continued her fists shaking as every word slowly left her mouth before she spoke the final words.

"I did it for you"

The words registered this time. His eyes widened in complete awe of the words. And she saw it, the fear in his eyes that made her want to vanish. She didn't want him to look at her. She wanted him to leave. She couldn't stand that stare.

"Get out…" she murmured quietly but forcefully as she turned away. He did not move.

"Jaden go away…" She spoke again this time the tone sounding more like a plea than a command. He didn't move. She didn't look at him but she could tell he was still staring at her. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Get out! Get out! Get out!" She yelled shutting her eyes tight trying to hold back painful tears just wishing he would get up and leave so she didn't have to face him.

But she didn't expect what happened next a warm embrace, two arms wrapping around her, carefully and gently to mind her injuries, but still a warm and heart felt embrace. She opened her eyes slowly not bother to look at him.

"Get out…." She whispered.

But he wouldn't leave. And now she didn't want him to. She just wanted him to hold her, so she could always feel comforted by him.

----

"He couldn't handle himself" The docks were once again covered with mist. The ocean was churning violently against the shores. On docks stood the pale haired brute like figure, crouched over a pile of what was James's Henzo's old body. There was a hand, a foot and a few other pieces.

"I regret reviving him…I can't keep his face now" he said with a sigh before throwing James's foot into the ocean waters, he sat down on the ground and kept throwing the body parts in one by one.

He was bored. Any moment now their new recruit would be here. He was excited about an hour ago, but this person was making him wait.

"So….bored…" he sighed rocking back and fourth cross legged on the ground, but his boredom was interrupted no sooner than he sighed.

A boat had now arrived by the side of the dock, a tiny wooden boat that looked as if it would capsize with the smallest wave. A figure stepped off the boat wearing a long trench coat and bowler hat. He was carrying a large case locked together tight with chains and locks of all shapes and sizes.

"You're here" The brute called out getting to his feet as the new presence dragged the huge case down the dock towards him. It scraped against the stone with an irritating screech but the brute was now too excited to care.

"You're here!" He cheered as the figure stopped in front of him.

"Chalk I presume?" The figure murmured to the brute who nodded eagerly.

"Butler is it?" He asked with a toothy grin. The figure took off the trench coat to reveal a smart fitting butlers suit. He bowed before the brute in a formal manner before straightening up.

"The one and the same now how can me and my friends be of service?" he asked, he had a small neatly shaved moustache but one of his eyebrows were missing, it was as if he had either shaved it off or someone had pulled it out by hand.

"We want you to just do what comes to mind…your organization is very noticeable I hope it can live to its reputation" the brute was now shuffling uneasily as if unable to contain his excitement.

"Sir me and the estate have seen many battles and have intelligence like no normal mortal this will be a simple task" he said before taking another polite bow.

---

I've decided I'm gonna update twice tonight so no leaving you in suspense eh? Stay tuned


	12. Bow Down

Bastion had noticed a change in Jaden after he had come back from visiting the infirmary last night. For one he seemed tired because he was constantly dropping off, just how long had he stayed at the infirmary?

"So how is Alexis?" Bastion asked Jaden who now woke up from dozing on his desk.

"Hmm? Alexis? She's a bit shook up" Jaden answered immediately before his eyelids started to close slowly. This was the other thing about Jaden today, when it came to a question about Alexis he seemed to be able to suddenly bring up hidden energy from within him to answer the question.

"But she's doing ok?" Bastion asked an eyebrow raised as Jaden began to drop off.

"Yeah!" He suddenly answer shaking his head to get himself to wake up.

"She's a tough girl…" he spoke before his eyelids began to drop again slowly sinking towards the desk.

"Tough…nice…" he managed to get the last word in before falling straight to sleep banging his head but not waking up.

"O….k…" Bastion spoke slowly with an eyebrow raised. Jaden was weird but this was a weird unlike anything he had ever seen. But his thoughts were interrupted as suddenly the room burst into applause. Somebody had just entered the room? Maxamillion Pegasus again?

He turned around to look up to the entrance of the class room before his eyes widened, "Syrus?"

"Syrus?" Jaden suddenly sprung up before looking towards the entrance, sure enough Syrus stood at the top with a slight smile on his face, "You're out already?" he called up getting up and running up the stairs to his friend.

"It was just a scratch Jaden" Syrus said with a little chuckle as Jaden stopped in front of him. Syrus still had bandages around his stomach that were hidden by his Ra yellow uniform but the bruises on his face from the brutes punch had healed nicely.

Syrus looked around the room a blush suddenly creeping onto his face. The room was still full of applause as the students got to their feet. Clearly they had heard of Syrus's bravery, well maybe not the entire truth but still got to their feet. Clearly they had heard of Syrus's bravery, well maybe not the entire truth but still they knew he had tried to protect Gale and Alexis and that was enough to make him a hero.

"Jaden make them stop" Syrus said embarrassed as he shuffled on the spot. Jaden chuckle and patted his friend on the back.

"All right everyone calm down the hero had all the attention he wants" Jaden called out with a loud laugh as they walked down to their desks.

As Syrus was walking down the stairs he noticed someone wasn't looking in his direction or applauding and cheering like the rest of the class; a red headed girl that was sat down on the end of the row of desks behind his.

He stopped walking as he past her and looked at her taking a breath in before speaking quietly, "How are you Gale?"

The red head looked towards him a dull look in her eyes, "I'm fine Syrus"

"I never knew what happened after that guy hit me" Syrus said with a nervous chuckle "You…you didn't get hurt did you?"

The red head's fists clenched noticeably as she looked at him, "Syrus…please…go away"

He looked taken back by the sudden statement, but not only that but the venom in the words. What had he done?

"What?" he asked in surprise.

"Syrus leave me alone" she spoke again turning away from him.

"But Gale I just…" he started before suddenly he noticed someone coming towards him, the built up Tyranno that was smiling at him a little before he stopped in front of him.

"Hey Syrus how you feeling?" He asked before looking at Gale with the same smile on his face, she avoided eye contact with him and just looked at her desk even though there was nothing on it.

"I'm…I'm ok" Syrus murmured quietly as he looked at Gale still with the same shocked look.

"Is she alright?" Tyranno asked Syrus who looked from one to the other.

"I don't know" Syrus began before Gale let out a growl of frustration.

"Syrus please just leave me alone and take your friend with you!" She snapped at him her eyes glaring at him viciously.

"I'm sor-" he began before Tyranno suddenly stepped in front of him glaring at Gale.

"Hey lady from what I've heard this guy took a knife for you how about you treat him a little more nicely!" He growled meeting her glare with his own.

"I never asked him to!" She replied forcefully at Tyranno bashing her fists against her desk.

Tyranno glared down at her before muttering to one side; "Boy you're an ungrateful-"

"Go to hell!" She interrupted before getting up and forcefully shoving Tyranno to one side, "You don't know anything!" she yelled in his face taking a sideways look at Syrus before running up the stairs and out of the class room.

"Gale!" Syrus yelled out before running past Tyranno and after her, Tyranno stared after them clueless.

"Tyranno!" Jaden called up to him as he ran up to him, "Why did you have to go and say that to her?"

"I'm sorry Jaden but she was being rude to Syrus so-"

"Come on go apologize to her I'll go with you her"

"Er guys were still in lesson you know" Bastion called up to them but sighed as they began to run towards the door, the head of Ra yellow staring after them with the same clueless look on his face as the rest of the class that were watching them.

Jaden and Tyranno were about to walk out the door when suddenly Crowlers voice rang through the class room.

"Attention! Everyone report to the duel arena now!" Crowlers voice rang out, "It is now decided that Atticus Rhodes will now play against Alistair-"

"Atticus?" Jaden's voice trailed off as he looked up at the speakers of the class room.

---

"What did you do to my sister?" Atticus Rhodes, Alexis Rhodes brother yelled at Al. Apparently he had stormed off to Crowlers office after visiting Alexis and demanded a match against one of the duelists, apparently Pegasus had elected Al to go up against him. He had long brown hair and the same eyes as Alexis, the eyes were now narrowed on Al a duel disk on his arm as they stood in the middle of the duel arena.

"I didn't do anything to her and I don't know why you're yelling at me" Al said with a sigh standing in his new Obelisk blue uniform in front of Atticus with his duel disk on his arm.

"You know why she was hurt don't you!" Atticus yelled as the duel disk activated.

Al sighed before crossing his arms, "You're annoying"

"Shut up and duel!" Atticus yelled out.

"Fine" he muttered before his duel disk activated. And the duel began…

Atticus's life points: 4000

Al's life points: 4000

---

"Gale wait!" Syrus called out as he ran down the corridor after her. A million questions were running through his head and his stomach was hurting but he kept running.

"What have I done?" He called out before Gale stopped suddenly at the end of the corridor.

"Why won't you leave me alone…?" Gale spoke her voice echoing through the corridor.

"I'm sorry it's just I want to know what's wrong" He replied his voice full of confusion.

"I don't need protecting Syrus" she spoke bitterly before she began to slowly turn towards him.

"What?"

"I don't need a hero and I don't ever want one!" She said as she looked him in the eye. Her eyes were narrowed and had a slight glint of anger in them. He reeled back in surprise. What did he do to deserve this?

"Why?" he spoke in surprise.

"Because every time someone protects me they get hurt! Hurt! Blood! Broken bones! Death! Do you want that?" She yelled at him stamping her foot in frustration.

"No" he replied timidly his eyes looking towards the ground.

"Then go" she order pointing behind him. He paused for a moment, took a step back before taking a step forward and swallowing.

"No"

"What?" She replied reeling back herself in surprise. Syrus was returning her glance with a glare of his own. She was speechless for a moment before she snarled and stamped her foot again "Why the hell are you being like this? Go!"

"But I don't want to" He replied his eyes softening a little, "I just want to talk to you is that so bad?"

She looked at him unable to say anything more. She looked to one side before noticing he was beginning to walk towards her.

"Please…Syrus I don't want anyone else hurt-" She murmured before she was cut off as something fell to the ground behind them with a loud thump. She froze on the spot watching as Syrus's eyes widened in shock and he stopped where he was in the middle of the corridor.

"Gale…don't turn around…" he said slowly, Gale began to shake in fear; she didn't have to turn around because the minute she looked at her feet she saw a pool of red form under her shoes.

She began to take a few steps towards Syrus her heart thumping. She could feel the blood soaking the sides of her shoes and could hear the sound of the killers breath echoing through the corridor.

"That's a good girl it would be wise not to turn around…if that were an option" something tied around the girl's legs and whipped out. She screamed as she spun round on the spot now looking in the direction of the new killer and his victim.

She saw him. The man dressed in a neat Tuxedo surrounded by gore that covered the floor and walls. The only part of a human body that was recognizable was the remaining quart of a face that lay at his feet, a bloody eye peering out of its socket. She let out a piercing scream and reeled back tripping over. The thing that had wrapped around her leg was a wire that cut into her leg.

"Oh no…please…please let me go…" she spoke her small voice racked with fear. The killer took no notice.

In his hand he held a knife and on his free arm was a black and white duel disk in which he held the wire. The man stood over the bloody pieces of flesh cleaning the bloody knife on a white towel he was holding. He looked towards them before bowing, "Greetings children I'm Butler very sorry"

That was all he said before letting go of the wire and lunging with the knife outstretched in front of him, but he met with no flesh. Something had just lashed out and punched him in the side of the head sending him flying backwards.

"You?" Syrus exclaimed. Rale stood in front of Syrus and Gale his fist raised. On the end of his fist he wore rhinestone knuckles while on his other arm he wore a sand colored duel disk.

The butler looked as if he was about to fall over from the force of the punch, but as he fell backwards he flipped over onto his feet gracefully before neatening up his suit that had become a little creased from the punch. The side of his cheek was bleeding all over his immaculate white shirt.

"Fine punch but a bit uncalled for if you ask me" he replied in his formal tone as he cleaned some of the blood away with the white towel that he held, the once bloody knife he held now being slotted into a pocket in his tuxedo.

Rale's eyes narrowed on the stranger before looking to Syrus and Gale. Syrus was just staring at him surprised but as for Gale she seemed to be in a trance, her eyes staring off into endless nothing, "Are you ok?"

Syrus nodded slowly, "Watch out for him…he's…"

"I know…he's the Butler…" Rale said his eyes narrowed as he slotted his deck into the duel disk, "Just what is The Estate's Butler doing on Duel Academy Island of all places? I thought you all only did the less complicated assassinations"

"The thrills of the estate are not for your ears boy" he began to step backwards a dark portal of shadow appearing behind him. An escape route for the murderer, he bowed before smiling the tips of his moustache arching.

"Good day" he said taking a small step backwards

"You're not getting away" Rale snarled before thrusting his arm forward. Chains burst from out of the ground and wrapped around the murderers legs and arms. He let out a gasp of surprise looking at Rale in alarm.

"What are you?" He asked his eyes widened as Rale glowed with a slight yellow aura.

"An enemy…now surrender or I will kill you" Rale spoke his eyes narrowed and tone dark and venomous. A grin came to the butlers face.

"Then there's only one thing to do then" He spoke before the corridor suddenly changed to a darker tone. The windows filled in with pitch black glass while the floor became a brighter pale grey. Rale didn't seem phased, he merely clicked his fingers and the chains became undone. Sure he could have ripped the butler to shreds, but they were in the shadow realm, if he had then Rale, Syrus and Gale would have been killed moments later.

"So be it" He murmured before looking back at Syrus, "Syrus don't let go of Gale no matter what and if you can try not to watch"

Rale's life points: 4000

Butler's life points: 4000

Syrus merely nodded unable to say anything. This was all too much for him to take in at once; he had just had a near death experience, witnessed death and supernatural elements in less than five minutes.

The butler drew his cards. He knew he had just had a near death experience himself but he had too much composure to actually let it show. He was an honest killer, someone who enjoyed his work but would show a bizarre sense of remorse.

"I wish you the best of luck" he called out with a little smile, but Rale's face didn't change. He knew that the Butler was smarter than he looked. He knew that the Butler was going to do anything to kill him.

"I'll begin by playing Skull Manor" The Butler called out as he played down the card. The corridor rumbled and shook before ivory white bricks began to form out of the darkness and pile up. They formed into a mansion big enough to fill the corridor, the door way a skull's head whose eyes glowed with a yellow flame.

"And now I can bring out the Skull Manor's faithful servant because this card lets me summon a monster known as the Manors Loyal Butler in attack mode!" The skull head opened up slowly to reveal a door in its mouth. The door opened before a green skinned zombie like creature began to walk out of the doorway dressed in a clean cut black tuxedo, over his arm he wore a white towel and in his free hand he held a bottle of wine. (1000/1200)

"And this one can special summon a monster from my hand if he is the only monster on my side of the field" The butler called out with a small smile, "So now I'll begin by special summoning my Guard dog in attack mode!"

The door of the skull mansion opened again before a giant black dog that seemed to grow in size as it walked out of the skull mansion appeared on the field next to the butler. (1500/1000)

"Finally I play one card face down" he called out as the card appeared behind the butler. Rale sneered at the monster as he drew his own.

Syrus stood behind him with the unconscious Gale in his arms; he couldn't believe what he was seeing in front of him. Two people playing the same game he played everyday like it was natural to them, but they were summoning real monsters! Snarling evil twisted creatures with a first for blood! Just how could Rale or even the Butler stand there and watch as such creatures came to life before their eyes?

"R…Rale?"

"I play the Horus Archer in attack mode!" Rale declared not noticing the fear stricken tone of Syrus as he slapped the card down. A burst of wind shot through the corridor before something landed in front of Rale, a human looking creature with a bird's head wearing a cream colored tunic and carrying a bow and quiver of arrows.(1600/700)

"Then I'll play a field spell called Desert Blood Valley!" There was a pause before the floor of the corridor suddenly expanded and the walls broke away. Sand began to rain from the ceiling and form under their feet. Rale could hear the sound of Syrus yelping in fear as sand began to pile up to his waist but did no pause to check on him. He watched as the floor became an endless sea of red sand, the very walls around the shattering and forming into a purple sky that crackled with black bolts of lightning.

"With this all my earth element monsters gain 300 attack points" (1900/700) a bolt of lightning hit the bird like monster causing Syrus to yelp with surprise. The Bird's eyes turned a deep black and a red aura began to circle it.

"Now shoot an arrow through that Butlers head!" He yelled as the bird creature took out an arrow and threaded it into his bow. It lined up aiming for the creatures head before letting the arrow go, it flew towards the butler about to pierce through his forehead.

But the Butler did not come to any harm. The white bricks of the skull mansion behind him suddenly flew out and blocked the arrow inches before it hit the butler in the head. Rale seemed surprised but not shook up as the Butler stepped out from behind the ivory shield.

"I'm afraid my Butler cannot be destroyed so long as I have another monster on the field so sorry my worthy foe" The butler called out taking another polite bow that only seemed to make Rale growl.

"I believe it is my move?" the butler asked in the same polite tone. Rale merely just nodded, this murderer was holding everything back. He knew that behind the smiles and the courtesy he was a sick and twisted individual.

"My move then" The butler called out cheerily as he drew a card "Well then I sacrifice my guard dog to summon my Manor dog Marron in attack mode!"

The black dog was suddenly sucked in by the white mansion, it yelped before the door closed opening moments later to reveal a gigantic brown paw.

The creature somehow managed to fit through the door of the ivory building. It wads a huge brown dog with yellow fangs and a bulky body. Its feet and legs covered with armor marked with a skull like crest. (2200/1200)

"Cute isn't he?" the butler asked with a warm smile "He showed up one day on the masters door step so he was trained to become the masters loyal pet"

"I don't give a fuck!" Rale snapped his fist clenching.

"Very well I attack your bird with my superior dog" he announced with a touch of charm in his voice as the dog leaned back preparing to pounce.

The bird blinked in confusion as he watched the unmoving creature lean back, but the confusion was soon lifted. The bird gave out a strangled screech before its head came clean off. The attack had been so fast that even the butler himself seemed unsure whether it had actually happened.

The dog was now standing over the bird creature; its armor bloody and mouth open as it leaned down and began to slowly eat the corpse of the dead creature. Syrus was now silenced; he was too shocked by the sight of something so brutal.

Rale's life points: 3700

"Now I activate the power of my Desert Blood Valley" Rale announced his eyes narrowed on the butler. He was unlike Al and Rox. Where Al would laugh and Rox would stare emotionless at his opponent Rale would show dedication. He was determined from the start to kill his opponent. After all, the butler had taken a life.

"So what is this effect?" the butler asked before his eyes widened as the remains of the birds body began to sink into the sand coloring it a darker red.

"When one monster is destroyed while Blood Valley is on the field the creatures spirit is locked into the sand and when a certain amount of spirits are locked into it I can sacrifice them all to summon a high level monster" Rale explained his eyes still narrowed as he drew a card from his deck.

"And now and play my Snake Syndrome Carrier in attack mode" A man with a dark symbol on his chest in the shape of a snake appeared. Syrus blinked at the man confused by the symbol on his chest before yelping as the symbol began to move around his body. It was alive. (400/500)

"What is that?" Syrus exclaimed Rale gave no reply; he merely slapped down another card.

"Then I'll activate my Construction of Hieroglyph Machine ritual card and sacrifice the two monster I have in my hand to the graveyard to summon my Ultimate Hieroglyph Weapon!" A magic card appeared on the field with a bunch of men lifting heavy sand stone blocks. Two of the cards in his hand suddenly crumbled into sand before forming into huge blocks of stone before him.

The sand merged with the ground beneath his feet before more stone blocks unearthed and formed into a strange machine. It looked like a medieval catapult with giant stone wheels but the sides of it were armored and it had giant silver blades jutting out from its front, a metal eye peering out among them. (2500/3000)

"And remember it gets 300 extra points from my desert" A red aura circled the creature and it began to turn slowly on the spot. (2800/3000)

"Now then…" Rale's voice trailed off "Attack his Maron Dog syndrome!" he ordered and the weak looking man suddenly jumped at the dog with his arms open.

"What that's madness he's going to get eaten alive" The butler exclaimed as the man ran across the field.

"Better now than later" Rale replied before the giant dog's jaw closed around the man, blood splattering the floor.

"Well what was the point of that?" The butler called out before noticing that now a black smoke was coming from the dog's mouth.

"Well you see when syndrome is destroyed he inflicts 200 points of damage per turn he's been on the field to both of our life points" The black smoke formed into two snake bodies before diving into both players chest causing them to yell out in surprise and pain.

Rale's life points: 3500

Butler's life points: 3800

"And on top of that!" Rale called out with a chuckle wiping his mouth from the blood that had formed on it, "I don't suffer battle damage…now I'll attack you with my final monster!"

The stone weapon began to race forward on its stone wheels the blades on its front jutting out in a threatening manner before they plunged into the beast causing it to yell out in pain as blood dripped from its body. It fell to the floor dead, the weapon moving back to its spot.

Butler's life points: 3400

"And remember I get another spirit from syndrome being destroyed" A green spirit flew into the air from where the slaughtered dog lay before plunging into the sand dunes below.

"Well I activate my Gourmet Meal for One" The butler declared revealing a trap card with a man at a long table which was laid out with thousands of meals, "This will increase my life points by 100 per monster in the graveyard and since I have my guard dog and my maron dog I get 200 life points"

Butler's life points: 3600

"Fine hang on to your damn life points I don't care one card face down and end my turn" Rale snarled as he slapped down another card.

"Well then now it's my turn and I'll summon my Axe Wielding Manor Maid!" A woman dressed in a maids out fit covered in blood and holding a bloody axe in one hand and a feather duster in the other stepped out of the skull mansion as the door opened slowly. (1700/1300)

"And when she's summoned I can summon two Mokey Mokey cleaners in defense mode" The door opened again and two cube like creatures with small wings and sleepy looking faces fluttered out of the house wearing the same bloody out fit as the maid. (300/100)

"Then I'll play one card face down" The butler called out smiling at Rale who simple turned his head to look back at Syrus and Gale.

"You two alright?"

"Were fine…" Syrus paused "Well I'm fine but Gale isn't doing so well" Syrus called out.

"Don't worry it'll be over soon…the gods wouldn't allow innocent blood to be spilled under my watch" Rale murmured turning back to the butler. Syrus blinked a confused look on his face, what did he mean by that?

"I now play The Gods Immortal Lesser Warrior in attack mode" Rale declared before the sand beneath his feet rose in an explosion and a monster wrapped tight in a large tattered blue cape and trousers appeared wielding a curved sword. (1500/900)

The same red aura circled it and it swung it's sword in a threatening manner (1800/1200).

"Now attack his maid Lesser Warrior and attack one of those cube freaks Weapon!" He yelled before the creature flew across the sand with the sword outstretched at his side. It cut through the sand almost about to slice through the maids body, the stone machine moving across the sand with a loud rumble all it's swords outstretched in front of it.

"I play my Demonic Chandelier!" The skull manner opened again and a chain suddenly shot out with a chandelier on the end of it.

It was a normal classy chandelier with a rich expensive quality to it. The only difference between it and every other chandelier was the fact that there was a skull hanging from it with glowing red eyes.

"This will now negate your attacks and next turn I'll be able to summon my Chandelier token in attack mode" he called out pointing at the glass structure as it cast down a red barrier before the two creatures. They smashed into it before being thrown back forcefully and taking back their original positions.

"I play another card face down" He called out and a face down card appeared next to the other. For a minute Syrus could have sworn he had heard a roar when he placed down the card. A bolt of lightning struck over their heads.

The butler bowed before drawing another card, "Well as I said I can now bring fourth my demonic chandelier that will have attack equal to the original points of all your monsters that have attacked this turn" The chandelier that hung above them began to glow a dark red aura it's eyes burning with a horrible crimson flame as metal shards jutted out from parts of the chandelier. (4000/0)

"Four-thousand?" Rale exclaimed his eyes narrowed as he growled at the looming decoration.

"Yes but there is a slight problem" The butler interrupted with a small polite nod "When it destroys a monster any damage that you receive from the battle I receive as well"

He paused before a smirk twisted on the side of his face, "But considering the difference in life points I don't need to care"

He slapped down another card "I play one face down card before I attack you with my chandelier! Chandelier attack with your cursed inferno"

The creature opened its metal skull head and a crimson flame appeared in its mouth about to rain down a burst of fire on the stone weapon below it.

But it never had a chance to continue, the sky had just gone jet black. Pyramids rose from the ground around them. Lightning began to spark in a ring in the centre of the sky.

"What's happening?" The butler exclaimed in confusion flicking back his bowler hat.

"Yeah what is happening?" Syrus asked as he looked around at the strange sight. He didn't know why but he could feel that something powerful was coming. Something that he would be glad to know he witnessed but at the same time shake in uncontrollable fear.

"It's the trap card I activated" Rale spoke before the lightning began to grow and he looked up at the sky "Yes you may punish him master of power" he spoke in a solemn tone before his eyes slowly closed.

"What trickery is this boy?" The butler called out, his once polite character now shattered by panic and fear as the sky split in two.

"I activate Obelisk's fist!" Rale yelled out the sky opening wider and wider revealing endless black behind it.

And then the butler and Syrus watched as two red eyes looked through the endless nothingness, the body that which they belonged began to emerge slowly.

It was a demon of blue armor like skin built up with huge muscles as it towered above the battle field cracking its knuckles. The very sound of its knuckles cracking was like thunder, but it was nothing compared to the low growl from its mouth which seemed to strike at the very hearts of Syrus and the butler.

"By discarding one card from my hand I can destroy your monster and deal 100 damage to you for every card in your graveyard" Rale spoke his eyes closed, "No not I…him…Obelisk…one of my many masters"

"W…what are you talking about?" The butler stammered before crying out as the giant creature suddenly lashed out. A giant blue fist towered above the Demon Chandelier. Compared to the fist it was merely a spec, as it came crashing down it smothered the battle field with a huge layer of sand as the impact split the desert in two.

Butler's life points: 3200

The sky began to close up slowly above them. The menacing look of Obelisk the last thing to be seen before it vanished behind the veil of purple.

"It's my move" Rale spoke his eyes opened and focused in a scowl on the speechless butler.

He snapped out of the shocked trance before nodding, "Y…yes…it is your move"

Rale drew a card before smiling. The ground beneath their feet began to rumble as the sky once again split in two and began to open "I activate my other face down card"

A card with a picture of a man in between huge white jaws appeared on the field. Something moved in the space above their heads. Rale merely smile before yelling out the name of the card.

"I play Willing Tribute to Slifers Second Mouth!" He yelled out before a bolt of lightning struck the ground before them.

In the darkness above a creature emerged from the darkness, a red serpent like creature with a giant ferocious head and monstrous wings. It had two yellow eyes and two jaws one stacked on top of the other. The top jaw opened slowly before the creature began to sink towards the ground.

"Slifer? He has a card which lets him summon Slifer the sky dragon!" Syrus yelled out in surprise almost forgetting he was still holding Gale in his hand "This guy can summon the three Egyptian gods?" He yelled out in surprise.

Rale didn't notice Syrus's out burst, he opened his eyes slowly enjoying the look of shock on the butlers face as he looked up at the second god, "By Sacrificing one of my monsters I can reduce one of your monsters attack by 1000 points" he called out before pointing at the creature above them.

"Think of it as a toned down effect of The Master of Unity himself" he called out before the creature lunged down and picked up the warrior on Rale's side of the field. It didn't scream in pain or struggle as energy began to form around it. It merely put away its sword back into the sheath that hung on its belt before it disappeared in a ball of pure electricity.

Slifer threw back its head before unleashing the ball of electric upon the maid who seemed to run at the very sight of the creature above her. But she didn't get far; she was thrown violently to the ground as the blast engulfed her. (700)

She was now on her knees her body smoking from the impact as Slifer sunk back into the darkness of his home with a threatening roar.

"Now that my master has made his presence known I'll play my Tablet Halberd Guard" The sand in front of Rale exploded in a cloud of dust before forming into a giant stone tablet with hundreds of hieroglyphics scratched into its surface.

In front of the tablet the sand formed again into a man wearing a white robe and a black arrow like helmet that covered half of his face, there were black symbols all over his white robe and in both hands he held a spear like weapon with a blade like top. (1800/1300)

"Now attack his Maid Halberd" The warrior raced forward the halberd outstretched in front of him cutting through the sand like a boat would through the sea water. The maid let out a gargled screech before the warrior passed the blade straight through her in a single swipe. She fell into two pieces black blood spraying over the sand.

Butler's life points: 2100

"Now weapon destroy one of his mokey mokey tokens!" He yelled out the stone vehicle racing across the sand with blades outstretched in the direction of the cube like fairy.

"I activate my Butler Reveals a Secret Hiding place card!" The butler called out and a trap with a butler pushing back a portrait on it to reveal a narrow corridor behind it appeared.

"This will remove my mokey mokey token from play and force you to attack my butler" The Butler hoped in the way of the Weapons rampage, a square hole appeared behind the Mokey Mokey creature before it hoped into it. The hole closed up behind him.

The same ivory bricks formed in front of the Butler, the weapon crashed into it head first a heavy clang echoing over the desert.

"But lets not forget he cannot be destroyed so long as one other monster remains on the field and Skull manor is in play" The butler called out breathing in as his confidence grew.

"I play one more card face down and end my turn" Rale called out looking back at Syrus and Gale once more. He smiled a little at the shocked look on Syrus's face. He had always wanted someone to witness the Gods at work and not have to die a moment later.

The Butler drew a card looking over the battle field. So Rale had the more powerful monsters he still had the strategy. And those Gods…even the gods wouldn't be able to protect Rale all the time. He still had an advantage.

"Now I'll bring back my mokey mokey token from out of play" He called out the same square hole appearing in the sand as the strange creature hopped out of the darkness joining the other twin.

He looked back at the white skull mansion a small smile on his face before he bowed to the strange house, "I think it's time that I sacrificed my two mokey tokens to summon the master of the house"

The door of the mansion opened and the two creatures were sucked into it letting out a yelp of surprise. The door closed with a slam, and then opened again flame shooting out from the door way.

"This is my Formal Dragon Manor Lord" he called out as the flame stopped. Standing in the doorway was a thin human like creature dressed in an expensive clean cut suit. Although these characteristics were normal of billionaires what made this creature strange was the fact it's skin was bright red and scaly, it had two red dragon wings coming out of it's back and a dragons head that though ferocious seemed to have a small charm to it as he looked over the battle field and stepped out from the Skull Manor. (2850/2750)

The butler bowed to the dragon shortly followed by the butler monster on the field doing exactly the same. The butler looked towards Rale with a wide smile on his face, "This monster has the ability to increase his attack by 300 every turn for every monster on my side of the field so long as he destroys a monster this turn so that means next turn he'll have more than three thousand attack power and it will keep on going up"

Rale merely sneered at the dragon as it took a few steps forward, the butler pointed towards the stone weapon on Rale's side of the field "Now attack his weapon!"

The dragon threw his head back before firing a burst of flame which torched the weapon in one shot. It exploded sending shards of stone in all directions.

Rale's life points: 3450

"Now I'll play the card Master and Servant Loyalty" The butler called out before the card flipped up showing the same butler monster he had on the field bowing to the dragon lord.

"This makes it so that if you attack my butler or dragon lord their attack power will become equal to the combined attack power of both monsters! So…that's 3850 attack power for both of them if you try to attack them" he called out before chuckling.

"This has been a slow duel perhaps but I have the perfect defense on my side of the field" he called out taking one more bow towards Rale before drawing out the same knife he had used to kill the student from his coat.

"I best start preparing to cut up you and those children" The butler said laughing as he brandished the knife threateningly at Rale.

Syrus's eyes widened as he watched the knife glint, he looked at Rale alarmed "Rale do something!" he exclaimed before yelping as Gale almost fell out of his grasp.

Rale was silent; his eyes were narrowed on the Butler. He was silent before he spoke in a low voice, "I have eight counters on my Blood desert"

The butler blinked before reeling in horror as eight small spheres of red light rose from the sand before them. They twirled around Rale the sand being thrown around in all directions. Rale stood in the center unmoved as he drew what he knew was his final card.

"My Tablet Halberd has been on the field for one turn" he called out, the warrior turned to the stone tablet behind him and sank to his knees in prayer.

"When he's on the field for one turn the Gods will change him into the body they desire" he called out, "Or in other words if I tribute him I can bring a very special monster to my hand"

The warrior began to glow with a blue aura. The stone tablet before him cracked and shattered. Pieces of the tablet spun around him, the blue aura began to grow fiercer. Rale watched, he didn't blink or find the moment unsettling as he drew a card from his deck not even bothering to look at it.

"I now remove all the counters from my Blood Desert" The red light formed in the middle of the blue aura. The warrior and tablet could no longer be seen behind the intense light. Syrus gaped shaking Gale a little.

"Gale…you should see this" he breathed, she stirred a little in his arms. Her eyes opened slowly immediately widening as she saw the raw power forming in front of Rale.

"Now the gods will transform him into their chosen monster and the God of power himself will now inherit his body blessing him with his intense might" Rale called out but the butler could neither hear him over the fierce wind that now picked up or could he tear his attention away from the sight.

The warrior in the centre of the aura was now visible. It was changing into a demon with a purple flesh covered with a bone like armor. Two blue wings jutted out of his back. (2500/1200)

"That's your monster! Summoned Skull?" The butler called out in confusion, the blue aura was still circling the monster. Rale was still glaring at the butler.

"No like I said the gods have changing him into the Summoned Skull for it is the body they wish to put the God of Power into" Rale called out the wind now picking up and throwing the red sand about violently. The butler was lost for words.

"You mean…Obelisk is…" The butler breathed cut off as the sky once again began to open into endless nothing.

"Going to form…" Syrus continued his eyes wide as he looked over the battle field.

"In Summoned Skull's body" Gale ended her breath taken away as a giant blue blast of energy shot down from the heavens and struck the monster. The entire desert was engulfed in raw power.

"**_Presenting!"_** Rale yelled out but it unknown where he actually was in the giant storm of brilliant blue light.

"_**Obelisk the Tormentor: Incarnation of Power!"**_

Rale's words echoed over the desert as the light formed into the creature's body before him.

The summoned skull monster was now hundreds of times bigger than it had been. It was so big that it shadowed the monstrous structure of the Skull Manor. Its body was now painted dark shade of blue. Its wings were twice their usual size; its clawed hands had become armored fists. Its chest was built up behind the bone armor that had now been shaded a darker blue.

Its head was no longer that of the skull demons. Though it still had the looks of the skull its eyes and mouth was now that of Obelisk the Tormentors. The two red eyes looked down on the dragon lord who now shook with terror its jaw open in shock.

(3500/3000)

"I'm not done" Rale called out as he pointed to the divide in the sky, "Remember earlier when I sacrificed a few monsters to the graveyard to summon my weapon…well one of those was a form of my remaining master…the God of Rebirth"

As Rale spoke flame erupted from the heavens and struck the ground next to the Obelisk Incarnation. The screech of a great bird echoed throughout the desert as the intense fire grew and grew. It formed into the shape of a bird with glowing white eyes. (0/0)

"Come my master" Rale spoke as the bird like fire screeched and soar through the air circling them with a halo of white hot flame.

"One of the cards I sent to the graveyard was Phoenix Spirit Ra" Rale spoke as he lowered his raised hand and looked across at the butler "He is the phoenix form of the Winged Dragon of Ra which can be brought out onto the field from the graveyard once in the game"

The bird like creature soared down and landed in front of Rale at Obelisk's side. It screeched again the sand flying about violently, "In this form he cannot attack or be tributed to summon any other monster and at the end of the turn he's destroyed"

Rale looked at the butler before looking towards the butler monster that stood next to the dragon lord. He was shivering in fright as he looked up at the creatures, "But in this form I can sacrifice 1000 of my life points to destroy one monster on your side of the field"

He looked up at the flaming bird, "Go my master…destroy his butler" he spoke a gold aura surrounding Rale and the flaming beast before it divided towards the Butler monster.

The butler screamed in fear as the flaming bird engulfed him. He was reduced to ashes in mere seconds.

Rale's life points: 2450

"Now…I believe that cancels the effect of your Butler and Master Loyalty card doesn't it?" Rale asked before pointing at the dragon lord.

"Now Obelisk Incarnation can only attack if I can sacrifice one monster on my side of the field…but the Phoenix Spirit of Ra won't mind at all" As he spoke the monstrous blue demon turned to the flaming bird opening its hands towards it.

The bird dove into the palm of his hand a ball of flame building in the center of it. The fire changed to a deep blue flame that began to circle the blue demon slowly.

It looked towards the dragon lord before it clenched both of its fists raising one back, "Obelisk Incarnation attack!" he yelled out before the monster threw a fist at the dragon lord.

"Hand of Gods!" Rale yelled out as the fist burst into raw blue energy and engulfed the dragon lord. The sound of the dragon's pain echoing over the desert before it disappeared in the light of the attack.

Butler's life points: 1650

"And now you'll suffer the wrath of the gods…because whenever Obelisk Incarnation destroys a monster you lose a number of life points equal to the attack of that monster" Rale spoke and the demon began to walk forward towards the butler.

He took a few steps back in alarm before letting out a scream of fear as Obelisk advanced the ground shaking with every step he took.

He looked at the skull manor behind him before running towards it with both arms open the knife still in one hand.

"Skull Manor protect me! Protect your loyal Butler!" He pleaded as the door opened slowly. He jumped through the doorway into the safety of the ivory house.

"You cannot run" Rale murmured as Obelisk brought down a fist upon the house shattering it to pieces, ivory bricks flying in all directions. The sound of the butler screaming was heard before Obelisk reached into the wrecked house.

"What's he doing?" Gale murmured towards Syrus. She was still in his arms but she didn't seem to notice. They were more concerned with the demon that was lifting something out of the house.

"He's trying to catch the butler"

"He's found him" Rale called back, Syrus and Gale gasped as they watched Obelisk raise his hand. In it he held the Butler who was now trying to stab Obelisk's hand with a knife.

"He will pay the price for spilling innocent blood" Rale murmured as the incarnation of Obelisk turned to Rale, looking down upon him before looking at the struggling butler, "He will be executed"

"Wait!" Syrus yelled out as he heard the words "You can't kill him!"

Rale seemed to freeze up as he said these words, he turned around slowly to face Syrus, "The gods command it…he has sinned…it shall be done"

"Two wrongs don't make a right!" He yelled out. He had now set Gale on her feet and was walking up to Rale his eyes narrowed.

"Syrus wait!" Gale exclaimed in fear as she noticed Obelisk was now beginning to walk towards them in long heavy strides.

"He shall be killed it is their right"

"I don't care he's still a human being"

"_**Little boy…"**_

Syrus froze up as the words echoed over the desert. He looked up slowly at the body that loomed down over them. It was now longer the incarnation of Obelisk that looked down upon them…

It was the very god himself; Obelisk the Tormentor who looked down on them with piercing red eyes. It's gigantic muscle filled body casting a giant shadow over them. It's hand clasped around the butler who still struggled against his grip.

(4000/4000)

"_**Do you defy the very words of the gods?"**_

It was Obelisk who was speaking to him, and it was then that Syrus now realized he had just challenged the word of the gigantic demon god. He had just opposed one of the most powerful forces in existence. His body shook in uncontrollable fear, "It's….it's…it's just not right!"

"_**True…it's not right to take the life of a person…but it must be done"**_

"But it's wrong!" Syrus exclaimed his fists clenched but shaking.

"**_SILENCE!!!"_**

Obelisks voice was so loud Syrus was thrown back from the impact of his very words.

"_**This little boy is a tormentor…a being destined for evil…one person who has no other path and will forever loathe the innocent and right"**_

Obelisk tightened his grip around the Butler who screamed in pain as his bones began to shatter.

"_**This vermin will never stop killing or ruining lives…thus he does not deserve mercy and shall forever suffer in damnation…"**_

The butler let out cries of pain as one of his arms snapped under the pressure of the grip. A leg fell to the ground cut off by the grip of the Egyptian god.

"_**This thing is not human even if it did start out as a human…on the brink of death a Tormentor will always show his true darkness…and you have NO RIGHT TO CHALLENGE MY WORD"**_

As Obelisk yelled Syrus was thrown backwards again, Gale let out a scream of terror as she watched him be slammed forcefully into the sand. Even though the sand broke his fall he still felt a huge pain shoot up his body. Rale was still stood in front of the creature, not moving or blinking. He was in a total trance.

"_**The Winged Dragon of Ra looks out for you little boy…you are kind and caring and have a promising spirit"**_

Obelisk's thunderous voice did not change even if the words were compliments. Gale ran over to Syrus helping him to his feet.

Obelisk's hand tightened around the butler in his hand. The butler let out a final cry of pain and terror before he disappeared in Obelisk's fist. Blood and shards of bone flew out from in between his fingers.

"_**But you are no warrior little Syrus"**_

Butler's life points: 0

Syrus looked up at Obelisk wincing, he felt bruised all over. And that was just from Obelisk shouting at him! Who knew what a God could really do to him if he got mad.

"You're no God either!" Syrus yelled at him not knowing where his sudden courage was coming from.

Obelisk began to rise into the air and into the divide in the sky. He paid no attention to the little boys out bursts.

"You're nothing but a murderer!" Syrus yelled at him, he could feel Gale clutching to him, not saying anything but pleading with him to stop calling out the huge monster that was entering the endless nothing.

"A murder-"

"Silence Syrus!" Rale snapped viciously as the divide above their heads closed with a boom of thunder. His fists were clenched and eyes narrowed on Syrus.

"You will not utter another curse against Obelisk or any of the other Gods!" He yelled out. The desert beneath their and the sky above their heads was beginning to melt and darken as it formed slowly into the corridor they were once standing in.

As the walls, ceiling and floor formed there was only one thing that had stayed the same. The blood of the student that coated them, the half of his face that lay on the ground between Rale and Syrus.

Syrus looked from the face on the ground before looking towards Rale his face looking uncertain of what to say, was he to yell at Rale or the god who had just insulted him? He breathed in and walked out of Gale's grasp his eyes narrowed on Rale before speaking slowly.

"Who are you?"

Rale's narrowed eyes softened. He seemed to frown before he looked to one side, "I'm a message"


	13. As I stare into the shadow of death

"Your gonna pay for what you did to Alexis kid!" Atticus yelled out once again his eyes full of hatred towards Al who seemed to respond by growling with frustration and ruffling his hair.

"For the love of…I didn't do anything!" he yelled out again.

"If you keep saying that I'll just have to beat it out of you" Atticus yelled out as he drew his first card.

"But this is a duel not a fist fight! If you want to beat me up then come and throw a punch!" Al yelled his tone frustrated but confused as Atticus ignored him pointing out the obvious.

"I begin by playing Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei and then I'll play one card face down" Atticus called out and a muscular warrior wearing old fashioned armour while the bottom half of his body was goat legs appeared. (2300/0)

"And by the way I heard about your strategy and how you use the cards in your hand to compliment the monsters on the field through things like that Phantom Metal Salvage!" Atticus called out thrusting a hand towards his face down card which flipped up revealing a burning camp site.

"So I play my disturbance strategy card which sends all cards in your deck back to your hand!"

Al growled a little as he shuffled his hand back into his deck. Atticus had been right with his assumption. In his hand he had the phantom metal wraiths prepared to go and in the next turn was more than prepared to summon them with phantom metal salvage.

"Fine I can still bounce back…" Al murmured as he drew a new hand "I begin by playing one card face down in defence mode and two cards face down then I'll end my turn" The face down cards appeared from out of black mist in front of Al.

Atticus drew before placing a card down. In a flash of light something sprung up from the ground and appeared in front of Al. A white mouse dressed in trousers and with a mop of short black hair. He took a pose in front of them, the crane style.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Al muttered as he looked at the kung fu mouse that let out a threatening squeak as it kicked forward with one leg.

"I summon Chu-Ske the Mouse Fighter" Atticus called out proudly as the mouse took another fighting pose, the mantis. (1200/0)

"Then I'll play two cards face down" he called out before pointing at the card in defence mode.

"Now I'll attack with my Fighter and Chu Ske" Lei Lei jumped forward towards the face down card with both it's shoulders pointed forward while Chu Ske jumped high into the air with it's leg raised above it's head.

"I play my face down card Black Phantasm!" He yelled out as a card with a terrifying black demon appearing out of smoke in front of some scared villagers flipped up.

"With this I can destroy an attacking monster and play a Phantasm Token in its place that has exactly the same attack power!" A dark mist suddenly filled the lungs of the Lei Lei before it yelled out in pain and exploded on the spot. In its place was a dark image of Lei Lei except it seemed misty and had glowing red eyes. (2300/0)

"It doesn't Matter I still have Chu Ske!"

"You're still attacking?" Al murmured confused as Chu Ske fell from the sky.

"Of course you still have one face down defence card" Atticus called out with a tone of mockery in his voice.

The mouse split the defending card in half with the guillotine like kick. The card flipped up to reveal a broken looking robot made from black metal. Its arms were made from springs and legs were in complete and looked like the smallest kick would cause it to fall to pieces. The robot fell to the ground its rubble covering the floor as it blew itself to pieces.

"Now finally I'll play block attack on Chu Ske to set him into defence mode" he called out as a card with a knight raising his sword above his head but had a cross cutting through him appeared.

"My move woman!" Al called out as he drew a card causing Atticus to growl.

"Don't make fun of my hair"

"Who said anything about the hair I just question your sexuality?" Al asked before slapping down a new card.

"By the way you destroyed my Malfunctioning Prototype when it's destroyed I can use its remains as a substitution for one of my sacrifices" He called out before the black mist formed under the rubble and the image of Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei.

"I sacrifice my token and the rubble of my prototype to summon Phantom metal Towering Despair!" The black mist covered the materials before the small monstrous creature appeared from the mist looming down over the mouse that now stood in the crab pose. (2800/3000)

"Phantom Metal attack!" Her yelled out before the dark mist formed in the giant's mouth before turning into the same brilliant energy, "Devastation!"

The beam fired down at Chu Ske hoping to consume him just like it had done in his duel against Missy. But for some reason this wasn't going to be the outcome.

"No…way…"Al murmured. The mouse had jumped straight into the line of fire with its fist punching through the energy. The mouse was fighting back against the beam of raw energy.

"I activated my face down card" Atticus called out as a card flipped up revealing a lone man dressed in rags with a black background, "its called lone wolf which will make my mouse unable to be destroyed as result of battle and unaffected by any of your monster effects"

The beam of energy thinned out before ceasing entirely the mouse moved its hands about in the air before striking another pose. Al stared blankly at the mouse, how did this creature block a blast of pure energy again?

"My turn!" Atticus called out before drawing and slapping down a card "I play Kaminote Blow!" The same ragged man appeared on the face of a magic card smashing rock with his bear fist. Chu Ske's arms suddenly buffed up his biceps becoming huge as he clenched his fists.

"With this any monster he battles with becomes destroyed at the end of the turn!" Atticus called out before another card flipped up revealing several priest like people chanting, "This is Waboku and with this card any life point damage to me becomes zero for this turn" he called out before pointing at towering despair.

"Chu Ske Attack with Kaminote Blow!" he called out before Chu Ske leapt at Towering Despair it's fist pulled back before he plunged it into the middle of the mechanical giant's chest. The creature let out a wail of pain as cracks ran through its metallic skin.

"Now that that's done I play Monk Fighter in attack mode" he called out before another burst of light appeared in front of Al and a silver haired man wearing orange silk clothes leapt into the air before spinning and landing at Chu Ske's side. (1300/1000)

"Now I think it's time your Towering Despair was destroyed I end my turn" He called out before the giant metal monster began to crack and fall apart. Its arms fell to the ground as it let out a low groan of slow pain.

"Well before I begin my turn I activate Reapers Equal Game!" He yelled out before a trap card flipped up revealing the grim reaper plunging his hands into the chest of two warriors who were staring each other down.

"With this if one of my monsters is destroyed I can send the monster that destroyed it to the graveyard as well and we both loose 500 life points!" He called out, as Towering Despair crumbled away the arena around them darkened.

Something moved in the darkness. Something cold and silent that seemed to walk in and out of the world like it was skipping the barrier of life and death.

"What the…" Atticus called out before reeling back as the sound of a blade scraping along the ground was heard.

The darkness suddenly lifted the last sight of Chu Ske and Towering Despair was both of their sliced in half bodies falling into pools of dark mist.

Atticus Life points: 3500

Al's life points: 3500

"Scared?" Al asked as he looked towards Atticus "Well this is what it's like when you deal with death in the way I do" he murmured before he drew a new card leaving Atticus speechless.

"I summon Phantom Metal Hurricane in attack mode" he called out as a tornado of black mist appeared in front of him and formed into pieces of black metal. A knight was formed from the black metal. In one hand it held a spear while in the other hand it held a sword, its bottom half was a giant spike making it look more like a spinning top than a machine. (1800/700)

"I wouldn't attack if I were you Al" Atticus called out with a smirk; Al raised an eyebrow as he stared towards Atticus.

"The trap card Lone Wolf doesn't just protect Chu Ske it also protects Monk Fighter so even if you attack him he'll still be standing at the end of the turn…and on top of that my Monk Fighter's effect makes it so I don't receive damage when he's attacked"

"So even if I attack him I won't be able to hurt you?" Al asked a light smirk creeping up on the corner of his mouth.

"Yes" Atticus declared proudly.

"So if I attack him I won't be able to hurt you?" He asked again emphasising the 'you'.

"Yes you…" Atticus stopped "Wait a minute…"

"I play Wing Reaper!" He yelled out and revealed a card with the Grim Reaper on it but with angel like wings sprouting from his back, "Wing reaper allows him to attack your life points directly so long as the damage is halved"

Phantom Metal Hurricane lurched forward before two grey angel like wings sprouted from its back. It flapped them once before it soared into the air above pointing its spear forward and holding its sword backwards.

"Phantom Metal Hurricane attack him!" He yelled out before the robot flung itself forward. The machine spun towards Atticus before hitting him dead centre in the chest.

Atticus life points: 2600

Atticus reeled backwards as Hurricane took itself place in front of Al who slapped down a card, "I play one card face down and end it there"

"Well then I can now summon a monster that's also protected by Lone Wolf because I summon Master Monk in attack mode by tributing Monk Fighter!" He called out before a yellow aura surrounded Monk Fighter before he transformed into a muscular tanned man with long white hair and a long white beard. (1900/1000)

"Now I'll play another Kaminote blow and legendary black belt on him!" Master Monk's biceps doubled in size while a black belt wrapped around his waist.

"Now attack Master Monk with North Star Fist!" Atticus declared before Master Monk flew at Hurricane and punched him in the centre of its metal body shattering it into metal fragments.

Al's life points: 3400

"And on top of that I can now attack again because of Master Monk's special ability! Attack his life point's directly!" Master Monk flew towards Al his fist raised, a bead of sweat formed on Al's brow. For the first time since he had got the phantom metal deck someone was actually posing a threat.

"I play Ghost Factory!" He called out and a trap card with the picture of a ghost white building with smoke rising from the chimneys appeared, "With this I can special summon a phantom metal monster that has level equal to the number of monsters in my graveyard!"

The same ghost white factory appeared behind Al before melting away into white mist before forming again into a new machine. A metal skull with slot machine reels for eyes and a slot machine handle on the side of its head.

"And since I have three monsters in the graveyard I can summon Phantom Metal Skull Casino in defence mode" (0/1000) Al called out before Master Monk smashed it to pieces before his eyes.

"With the power of Black Belt Al I can now inflict the difference in attack and defence on your life points!" Atticus called out before the fist burst through the machine and his Al in the chest causing him to take a step back.

Al's life points: 2500

"Lucky break" Atticus murmured "I end my turn"

Al drew one card from his deck before looking towards Atticus "Now I can draw an extra card so long as I discard one from my hand thanks to Phantom Metal Casino's effect" he called out before drawing one card and putting on in the graveyard.

"And now I'll play the magic card Reaper at the Poker Table!" A magic card with the Grim reaper playing cards with Dark Ruler Ha Des and Dark Necrofear appeared on the field.

"With this I take one of the monsters from my graveyard and you have to guess if it has an attack higher or lower than your Master Monk and if you guess wrong I can special summon it to the field"

A poker table suddenly appeared out of the dark mist that surrounded Al. Al walked forward to the table and took out his graveyard from his duel disk before picking out a card and laying it face down.

"So go on…choose" He said before motioning to Atticus, he walked forward briskly before stopping in front of the table.

"It's obviously going to be Phantom Metal Towering Despair because you have no other monsters in your graveyard that can match up to him!" Atticus called out with a wide grin "Higher!"

"Wrong"

The moment he uttered the word the entire table exploded into black mist before forming a new creature in front of them. The two duellists stepped backwards, one in awe the other impressed.

The black mist formed in front of them to shards of black metal that floated around a circular metal ball, "This is the card I dumped thanks to Skull Casino's effect it's called Phantom Metal Element!" (1000/1000)

"Now I'll play Friendship between the Reaper" A card with a picture of a small boy shaking hands with the Grim reaper appeared in front of Al, "I'll get to his effect later for now I'm going to use Phantom Metal Elements ability and discard two phantom metal monsters to the graveyard to raise his attack to three thousand until the end of his next battle"

Two cards appeared above the element. They turned completely into black metal before shattering into metallic shards and forming around the strange object. (3000/1000)

"But…he'll be destroyed at the end of the turn" Atticus called out with an eyebrow raised.

"I'm willing to do the damage" he replied his eyes narrowed on Atticus.

"But even if you do that you only have one card in your hand how are you going to be able to summon anything?" Atticus called out a look of confusion crossed his face.

"True I have no cards in my hand and I don't have a monster in my hand" he called out "Which reminds me I play this card face down on the field" he called out before playing it.

"Now where was I? Oh yeah well even though I have no cards in my hand friendship with the reaper allows me to draw the same amount of cards that I discarded at the cost of 300 per card so since I discarded three this turn I get three cards at the end of my turn"

"Now attack Phantom Metal Element!" The pieces of metal that surrounded the element began to spin rapidly before they fired out at the Master Monk like projectiles.

"I activate rising energy!" Atticus called out as a card with a picture of Monk Fighter on it surrounded by a yellow aura flipped up "With this card I can raise my Master Monks attack power by 1500!"

The same yellow aura surrounded Master Monk. He clenched his fist with a low growl his veins popping out as his body tightened with the raw power flowing through his veins. (3400/1000)

The projectiles bounced off Master Monk before suddenly Master Monk held one hand back and threw a fist forward. A blast of pure yellow energy flew out from his fist and consumed Phantom Metal Element leaving nothing but a bright yellow explosion where it stood.

Al's life points: 2100

"You've got to be kidding….kung fu mice and now a monk that fires energy from the palms of his hands…you based your deck on every cheesy kung fu that exists didn't you?" Al asked with a tone of disgust in his voice.

"Hey my deck changes depending on my mood and what I want to represent!" Atticus called out fiercely "If I want to be a rock star then I make my deck show all the glitz and glamour of the showbiz world"

His eyes narrowed on Al "But if somebody attacks my sister then I do what any hero does and I make my deck represent the fierce warrior spirit within me"

Al stared blankly at him. He opened his mouth to say something as if thinking over his next words, "First of all rock isn't about glitz and glamour…maybe if you purchase a pair of testicles you'd know that….second of all"

He drew three cards from his deck a dark aura surrounding his hands as he did so. He was activating the effect of friendship of the reaper as his turn ended.

Al's life points: 1600

"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" He yelled at him gripping his head with one hand in frustration.

"Shut up it's my turn!" Atticus yelled out before Master Monk began to glow with a bright white light as Atticus slapped down a new card, "Now I can power up my Master Monk to the final level!"

"I'll sacrifice my Master Monk to summon Monk Master: The Chosen one!" He declared before the brilliant white light surrounded Master Monk transforming him into the same monk warrior but this time he was dressed in a white karate uniform and had silver dragon emblems imprinted all over it and his hair was a bight shade of silver. (2400/1900)

"With this monster he can't be destroyed as a result of battle and every monster he battles gets destroyed at the end of the turn!" He called out before he pointed at Al.

"Now Chosen One attack him directly! Devine Justice Fist!" He called out before the Monk flew at Al, his fist burned with a glowing white flame.

"I activate Cold Iron Wall!" Al's voice yelled over the sound of the burning fire as a giant wall of iron suddenly rose from the ground in front of Al. It had a gruesome twisted face in the centre of it but yet this did not stop the monk from smashing its burning fist into the centre of it.

"What the hell is that?" Atticus called out before letting out a yelp as the iron walls twisted face opened up and let out a loud groan of agony.

"This is a permanent trap card of mine that allows me to discard one monster card from my hand so I can deal half the damage of your attack to both of us!!" he called out before clutching his ears as the same groan of agony filled his ears.

Al's life points: 400

Atticus's life points: 2200

"Well that may have saved you this turn but next turn won't be my love for my sisters too strong too keep down!" Atticus called out as the monk took his place in front of Atticus "I end my turn"

As the giant iron wall sank into the ground below Al looked onwards towards Atticus. His eyes seemed to glaze over, as if he was staring into death itself.

"What's wrong? Aren't you going to make your move?" Atticus called out with a snarl his fists clenching.

"_Atticus…" _Al murmured his voice suddenly struck with a dark echoing tone, _"So scared Atticus…afraid that the closest family you have will be taken away…so you lash out at what you think is the enemy"_

He began to draw the card from his deck slowly, a smile twisting on the corners of his lips, _"Your love for your sister touches me Atticus…but you are reckless…you will not last against the tormentors…they will open you up and cut out your heart"_

"What? What are you talking about?" Atticus snarled viciously as a bead of sweat formed on his brow.

"_You are nothing but a scared little boy Atticus…" _Al whispered slowly before he slapped down the card on his duel disk _"I play one card face down before I activate my Reapers Ace card"_

A card with a picture of the Grim reaper holding the four aces, the ace of spades it held on fire, appeared on the field _"When this card is the only card in my hand I can substitute it for any low level monster card, magic or trap in my graveyard"_

The same flaming Ace of Spades appeared in front of him before it was consumed in black fire forming a monster card but not revealing the picture, _"And along with it I activate Pity of the Reaper if I have less than 2 cards in my hand I can draw until I have five cards"_

He drew five cards from his deck before pointing at the burning card in front of him, _"Now to carry on with the card I was bringing back from the graveyard…"_

The burning card formed into a card with a picture of a metal dragon with curved wings a chain like tail and a metal ring for a body.

"_I bring back the card I discarded to activate Cold Iron Wall my Iron Weapon Dragon!"_ The same dragon rose out of the card and appeared on Al's side of the field with a screech its curved wings flapping forcefully. (1700/1400)

"And you should know he comes with a special ability…whenever he's summoned I can play any weapon dragons from my hand so long as at the end of my turn I loose fifteen hundred lift points"

"_So what the chances of you having more than one must be slim" Atticus_ spat at him but only received a dark chuckle as a reply.

"_True…I only have three weapon dragons in total but I put all my faith in Pity of the Reaper…and the reaper rewarded me with all of them"_ He spoke before chuckling darkly and slapping down two cards.

"_So I'll now summon them both! I play Titanium Weapon Dragon!"_ He called out before a dragon with a shield shaped body a metal scorpion like tail and two metal circles that acted like helicopter propellers for its wings. (1800/1600)

"_And also I play Steel Weapon Dragon!"_ Another powerful looking dragon appeared with a thick metal body armoured head and tank tracks for legs appeared next to them. (1900/1500)

"So what they still don't stand a chance!" Atticus called out but yet again Al merely laughed in the same dark tone.

"_And now I sacrifice all of them"_ he muttered causing a sudden outburst of confusion and alarm to echo through the stadium.

"All of them?" Atticus spat his eyes wide with shock.

"_Yes all of them"_ The final card Al held in his hand was burning with black fire yet he didn't drop it or seem phased by its threatening appearance as he slapped down the card. His duel disk burst into black fire.

"_And this will summon…."_ he murmured slowly as the three machine dragons suddenly began to sink into the ground below without so much as a screech of pain or roar of protest.

There was a dead silence that went through the air; the room seemed to suddenly grow so much colder.

"_The Black Dog"_

The very duel arena shook as a huge burst of power erupted from under the three dragons and tore them away. Dark mist spewed from the ground like a geyser covering the floor. The very air around them turned a darker shade.

"What's happening?" Atticus shouted over the sounds of the hollowing wind and the explosions of black mist.

"_Your monk best say his prayers_" he called out, Atticus let out a scream as he looked at Al. Al no longer looked human. Part of his face had broken open revealing a giant red eye beneath where his original dark eye should be; his wide grin was now full of razor sharp fangs, black mist was drenching his skin. He was cackling with a loud evil tone as his eyes narrowed on Atticus.

Something was moving in the dark mist. The sound of something screaming was ringing through the arena. Two giant red eyes peered through the floor of dark mist. A banging sound was heard as they pressed up against the glass. Whatever it was the darkness was a barrier between it and the world above.

It slammed itself against the barrier and it shattered like glass sending a spray of dark mist spiralling upwards.

Atticus fought through the mist trying to get a look at what he was facing.

A low growl was all that was heard behind the mist. The monster walked through it revealing itself to the arena. A huge scream echoed through the arena as they witnessed the creature.

It was a dog. A huge black dog with snarling white fangs, drool splattering the floor below. Its body was covered with black fur and it's claws shone with a dull grey as if made from metal. There was a spiky grey colour around it's neck and from what looked like an open wound in it's back were hundreds of ghost like souls pouring out of the dog.

"_This is the dog of death…one of the reapers forms that comes to the bodies of those who are destined to die"_ Al spoke gesturing to the creature above him. On the creatures stomach was a metallic skeleton positioned like a cross on his chest.

"_His attack power is equal to all the monsters in my graveyard times 1000 and since I have ten monsters in my graveyard his attack power is ten thousand"_

The giant dog let out a howl as the machines rose from the black mist below his feet. They disappeared behind sheets of black mist that formed into the souls that poured from the dogs back. (10000/10000)

"What!" Atticus yelled out in disbelief. This creature was like nothing he had ever seen, he was like a god!

"_On top of that I can discard all the magic, trap and effect monsters from my hand to make it so that he can't be affected by magic traps and effects for this turn…but you don't need to worry about that because I have no cards in my hand"_ He chuckled from out of his bared fangs.

"_And sure your monk may not be able to be destroyed but my Black Dog has enough attack power to send him to the underworld anyway" _Al called out opening his mouth and cackling as the giant black dog through back it's head. The souls from its back seemed to be also pouring from his mouth.

"_Now Black Dog Final Calling Attack!"_

Al's voice echoed over the giant howl that erupted from the Black Dog as it threw its head forward and a river of souls poured from its mouth in a destructive wave. The monk himself seemed to cry out in fear and try to run out the way but the wave of souls reached out and grabbed him tearing his body apart as it dragged the pieces into oblivion.

Atticus's life points: 0

The duel arena was in silence. The cheer leaders that had gathered to support Atticus were now in silence. And Rox who had been stood in silence as he watched his comerade play in what had at first seemed a harmless game, now stood with an uncomfortable shock on his face. Jaden's mouth was dropped in terror as Atticus fell to his knees.

The dog towered over the two of them. Al stood in silence under the creature his face now back to normal and dark eyes looking blankly towards Atticus. Atticus had no pupils in his eyes; it was like he was no longer conscious.

"Sleep" he murmured before Atticus fell to the ground. The screams of the arena filling the air.


	14. Blood Ritual

Warning a certain part of this chapter may be thought of as disturbing, but I'm sure that you all can handle it.

By the way I'd like to thank the few who've commented and that I really appreciate the response I got. Thank you and I apologise ahead of time I don't feel I did to well with this chapter but I needed it to get to a certain point in order for the story to progress

But I will make up for it in the next couple of chapter I swear on the life of Jaden!

----

Why would he live here? In all places of Duel Academy why would Rox live here?

Chazz Princeton was currently walking around the grounds of a muddy field covered with a blanket of dark mist. Was this the premonition of a tormentor or was it simply the will of Rox? He didn't know, he didn't question it. Because now he could accept almost anything after what he had done. Nothing was more real than the guilt of death.

"_Why did you come here?"_

Chazz was surprised no doubt with the sudden words. But what surprised him more was that there was no Rox standing in the cloud of dark mist. It was Rox's voice but the voice had echoed through his head.

"_Answer…why…"_

"No you answer!" Chazz snapped before taking a step backwards. Two eyes had suddenly appeared in the mist. Two piercing red eyes that lusted for the pure pumping blood that ran through Chazz's body.

"_Don't tell me what to do"_

Rox's voice spoke but yet despite this sudden appearance of the eyes there was no mouth. It was as if the mist itself was talking to him.

"I saw him! What your buddy did to Atticus the yesterday!" Chazz yelled out his eyes fixed in a glare and his hands thrust out in a threatening manner to his sides. Rox sighed in the mist and a cold breath of air suddenly passed through Chazz causing him to shiver.

"_He was an idiot…he's not allowed to use that against a mortal"_

"Mortal? Your saying that you three aren't mortal?" Chazz asked with a blink dropping his arms to his sides as he looked at the red eyes that now stared blankly at him.

"_You're talking to a pair of eyes and you're noticing that now?"_

Chazz's face seemed to burn from sudden embarrassment before growling and moving on to his next question; "That Black Dog…what was that?"

"_His heart"_

The reply was simple but it still made Chazz's mouth drop and a look of confusion sweep over his face.

"What?" He asked trying to get his head around what had just been said.

"_You heard me…that is a monster that is made from him, it's his soul and fate all sealed into a small piece of paper…"_

Chazz stared for a little longer at the eyes that were now staring at him with a strong blank stare. He tried to get a few words out before answering; "You are joking right?"

"_I wish I was…but like technology a weapon that powerful had to evolve with the motives of our enemies"_

Rox's rolled his two floating red eyes before sighing heavily.

"_I personally thought that turning the heart into a sword is more ominous than a card but its like the saying goes cards are the invention of Satan"_

Chazz continued to stare. His mouth was now shut but it was obvious he was still unable to contemplate what Rox was saying. Another sigh came from Rox.

"_We are unlike most people…we have been picked out to have our lives toyed with in ways that would break the average person"_

The eyes now glared at Chazz in a threatening manner. They were accusing and would easily break the glance of any normal person.

"_You think you're horrified by you killing that woman? I've had to deal with killing for so long I question why I still live…"_

"**What are you!"** Chazz yelled viciously at Rox. It was louder than anyone had ever yelled at the three strange people. Rox's eyes widened in sudden surprise from the sudden outburst from Chazz that was now panting heavily. "Stop stalling and tell me!"

There was a long silence before Rox spoke slowly, his eyes closed as he spoke the calm words.

"_This may sound corny…but were if you will a misguided star of justice...we are literal double edged swords"_

"You mean your good and evil?" Chazz asked regaining his breath slowly.

"_No were good but were considered evil"_ He replied with a bitterness in his voice.

"Then what are you Rox?" Chazz asked before suddenly taking a step back in alarm as the mist that surrounded him suddenly lashed out in different directions like someone had just thrown smoke bombs through the air. The two red eyes began to rise into the air before Chazz, a silhouette of Rox's body appeared behind them until they became level with his face.

"_I am the spawn of eternal darkness…I'm a vampire who's been alive for more than five thousand years"_ He spoke, the mist suddenly cleared in an instant revealing the same Rox as always but with blood red eyes that still had the first for blood.

But when Chazz saw what he was standing on he questioned why he had that look. He was standing on a giant stone slab with a hard black coffin on the middle of it. Rox was standing on top of it. There were bodies everywhere, there was blood everywhere.

----

"A message?" Gale asked as she stood besides Syrus who was still having a little trouble standing, "Whats that supposed to mean?"

Rale sighed and turned away unclipping the sand coloured duel disk from his wrist and deactivating it, "I've said too much"

"You're going to tell us" Gale spoke firmly stepping forward, Syrus looked as if he was trying to get a word in but seemed now more afraid of Gale than he had been of Obelisk.

"It's insignificant", Rale spoke taking the deck out of the duel disk and pocketing it.

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the corridor before Rale suddenly let out an 'urk' of surprise as Gale reached up and grabbed him by the back of the neck and dragged him backwards. Gale was now staring down at him a wicked malice in her eyes, the very look of the woman you knew was not to be messed with right now, "Listen jack ass Syrus here just almost got killed again because of me-"

"Well I wouldn't put it like that" Syrus murmured quietly but was still in awe of the fact that Rale was now being dragged to his feet by the scarlet haired girl that was considerably smaller than Rale.

"-He stood up to that giant monster freak! He could have gotten fatally wounded again and it would be yours and my fault!" She growled as she glared at him, Rale let out a small whimper his eyes wide.

"Really it was just a scratch" Syrus murmured again scratching the back of his head with a small smile.

"Shut up Syrus!" Gale snapped as she glared back at him a small fire burning in her eyes causing him to reel and whimper like a scared puppy.

"Yes mam…."

Her head whipped back to Rale who now had regained his composure and shook out of the grasp before standing on both feet. Gales eyes were still narrowed on him, "Tell us Rale!"

He didn't answer. Gale growled before shoving him in the back, "What are you?"

"I am the message of the Egyptian gods at birth I was chosen by them to be what they would put their divine word through whatever they say I do until the day that Yugi Moto crosses my path!" He spoke every word with fury but formality as he glared back at her meeting her glare with a glare of his own.

"Are you happy now?" He spat viciously.

It took a few moments for such words to suddenly sink in to Gale before she backed off. His sudden explanation suddenly hit her, she now realised how amazing but terrible it was. She stepped backwards next to Syrus who was equally startled. There was silence before Syrus cleared his throat and spoke.

"What will happen on that day?" he asked in a quiet voice. Rale looked to one side.

"Unity"

---

The hospital wing was full of shouting and scrambling. Doctors and nurses that had been flown in coming and going in the blink of an eye as they tended to the new causality in the wing. It was complete chaos that was for certain.

One voice in particular was standing out though; **"What did you do to him! What did you do to him?"**

It was the single cry of Alexis from her bed as she looked over at Atticus. Her body shaking with terror as she watched the doctor's crowd around him.

Crowler was standing in the corner of the room talking with a doctor about what he would now need to add on to the letter to the Rhode's family.

"It's incredible Chancellor Crowler I've never seen anything like it he's alive but he's stone cold" the doctor spoke in an amazed tone as he looked over at Atticus. The boy's eyes were wide open, his face blank and pale along with the rest of his body, but there was still a small breath coming from his lips.

It was horrible, and Alexis clearly wasn't the only one to think so. Jaden was sat next to her bed staring at Atticus. He couldn't stand it, the cold blank look on Attuicus's face that shared a look of fear within it.

He looked over at the boy who had caused this. A set of handcuffs placed on his wrists. Al sat on a chair next to Pegasus who seemed less than pleased by what had happened but at the same time he didn't seem shocked.

He looked at Al. He just stared at the ground with a glazed far away look in his eye. His mouth slightly curved into a smirk but it only seemed to creep up every few seconds. He had always thought the duellists to be interesting and mysterious, but this one had now gone and maybe killed Atticus.

Well that was until the door of the room slammed open revealed a pissed off raven haired woman wearing to much the surprise of everyone in the room, a dressing gown and a shower cap.

"AL WHAT THE HELL?" She yelled at him storming over him with such strong strides that room shook. Compared to Gale this woman was queen of the furious strides.

"Axiss…are you aware that you're wearing nothing but a nightgown and a shower cap?" Al asked an eyebrow raised, for a minute all the doctors in the room seemed to turn eagerly the moment these words left his mouth, they were shortly silenced as the boy turned to them with the glare that threatened to reveal the hideous monster that had appeared in the duel causing all of them to yelp and immediately turn back to Atticus.

Her reply to his comment was simple and well met. She hit him in the side of the head. His eyes widened as he fell from the seat and lay sprawled out on the floor. At first he seemed hurt and very shocked, but then once it sunk in he got back to his feet and sat down on the seat again.

Axiss however did not stop to ask if she had hit him to hard. She growled inm frustration before stamping her feet in tantrum and gripping his head in one hand before yelling directly into his ear, "YOU LITTLE PRICK! AL WHEN I GAVE YOU THAT THING I TOLD YOU NOT TO USE IT ON A MORTAL!"

Al sighed ignoring the ringing in his ear and glancing sideways. The whole room was now silenced, everyone was now looking at the two. Even in his unconscious state Jaden could have sworn Atticus was watching with the same surprise.

As he looked back at Al his eyes grew wider. Now Al was blushing furiously. Why would such a strange and presumably cold child blush?

Al began to slowly mumble the next few words, "Erm…Axiss your dressing gowns fal-"

"SHUT UP AL!" She yelled not seeming to take in what he had said, sure enough it was now clear to both Jaden and every male in the room that the more the woman shouted and stamped her feet in rage the more the front of her dressing gown was opening to show...well the only one who could properly see was Al but it was obvious the doctors who were supposed to be treating Atticus were now currently trying to get a better view.

Axiss breathed in slowly, Al gulped his eyes shifting from the part in Axiss's dressing gown to her face. She sighed before tilting Al's head back to look her in the eye, "Now I told you not to use it on a mortal"

"Yes…yes you did…" he murmured slowly now that intimidation coming back again.

"And what did you do…" She asked politely, but yet she got now response. Al was silent, he turned from her and stared into thin air as if thinking it over before murmuring.

"I'm sorry"

She gave a long sigh before clicking her fingers at one of the doctors by Atticus who suddenly made more effort to suddenly run across the room and pull up a chair next to the boy for her. She sat down with her eyes shut before sighing and slapping Al in the back of the head not caring that the doctor had just ignored a patient to tend to her needs, "Idiot…"

"You know I had to" He murmured ignoring the sting on the back of his head.

"You didn't have to" she replied immediately folding her arms across her chest. The doctors sighed in disappointment before once again beginning to work on reviving the stone cold Atticus, Jaden wasn't sure but he swore that he had seen Atticus sigh or frown. Just how unconscious was Atticus?

"You're an idiot…" Axiss murmured rolling her eyes. There was silence that followed before the voice picked up slowly.

"What did you do to him?"

Jadens head turned to the bed beside him. Alexis was looking across at Al, she was glaring through the strands of hair that had fallen over her face. Her hands clenched tight to the bed sheets.

"What did you do!?" She yelled with fury in her voice. Jaden was sure if she could walk she would have attacked Al.

Al looked sideways before murmuring in the same slow reply. "I'm sorry"

What came next surprised Jaden, Axiss had just snorted as if amused by the apology, "Your not sorry Al" she replied with an airy chuckle as she tugged the shower cap off her head letting messy raven hair fall down her face.

"What did you do to Atticus?" Alexis asked her fists clenched tighter.

"I'm sorry" he replied in a solemn tone.

"Tell her Al" Axiss ordered in a casual tone as she began to play with locks of her hair.

"I won't but I'm sorry" he replied now staring at the floor.

"Shut up and tell me!" Alexis yelled slamming her fists against the bed causing the metal rails to shudder.

"Tell her now!" Now Jaden was shouting at him. The fear and anger he had suppressed suddenly unleashing itself.

The door of the room opened and a police officer walked in carrying a gun in one hand. Obviously Crowler had thoughts this to be a matter for them even if it was unbelievable. The police officer walked over to Crowler who greeted him with a small nod.

"Is that the kid?" The officer asked as he looked towards him. Crowler nodded in reply, Pegasus immediately jumped in and began to talk to the two in a rushed apology.

"I'm sorry Chancellor Crowler I assure you this was not intentional" he began to speak, Al lifted his head and looked at the gun in the police officers hand. A gun? Prison? For him? It was just a game!

"You've really done it now" Axiss murmured sideways, she seemed to care more about her hair than the fact that maybe going to prison.

"The boy is dangerous Mr Pegasus and what that creature was I have no idea but I don't like it" Crowler answered, the room was now beginning to fill with chatter, Alexis was still shouting at him.

"He's still cold I think the kid really killed him" one of the doctors managed to call out over the noise.

"Their going to take you away…" Axiss sighed her tone seeming to sound like it was mocking him now.

"Tell me now!" Alexis yelled out her face now red and voice strained from the shouting.

"He's a good boy Chancellor Crowler and he's very important" Pegasus was heard amongst the chaos.

"Tell her Al!" Jaden shouted out now on his feet.

"I would tell her" Axiss murmured to him.

"Tell her" Jaden spoke again beginning to walk towards him.

"He's going to have to be taken off the island" the officer spoke, Al's eyes closed his face screwed up. Too many people were talking.

"I said tell her!" Jaden snapped his fists clenching. Too many voices, Al couldn't concentrate. Why wouldn't they leave him alone?

"Tell me!" She yelled over the voices.

"**SHUT UP!"** He yelled out so loud that the entire room was silenced in one breath. He clutched his head in between his hands his eyes hidden from view as he looked at the ground breathing heavily in fury.

"Shut up! SHuT uP! **Shut up! ShUt Up! SHUT UP!"**

His head shot up immediately revealing his face that was twisted in a look of pure rage. His eyes were changing from red to black and his face was cracking like someone had smashed it with a hammer. Jaden watched speechless before he asked in a breathless voice "What the hell are you…"

The cracks in his face suddenly disappeared, the red in his eyes changed back to their dark colour. He looked towards Jaden his eyes threatening to pierce right through Jaden's soul itself.

"I am death" He spoke his voice cold and hate filled as his fists clenched in the pair of handcuffs on his wrists.

"I do deaths work and no one does it better than me…I am your fear…I am what takes your joy away and gives you nothing but sadness yet I am what drags the sinners to hell"

He paused before looking at Axiss who was currently staring at him with an unimpressed look on her face. He didn't care; he just spat his following words.

"I am deaths advocate and that's what I shall always be deal with it"

----

They were all fools though to think that three strange boys were cause for concern. Why did no one check the docks and wonder why the Butler had left the giant suit case that lay what seemed to be carelessly abandoned on the docks?

Why did Crowler not instruct all the students to go to their lessons as planned?

Why did no one realise that the classes had one less student because of the Butlers handy work?

And why was it now that the suitcase had now opened itself? And why was it now that a class of kids now sat terrified as they watched their wonderful brown haired teacher become reduced to tears as she was pressed down onto the desk?

"That's a good little girl you lie down there" The rotten head spoke with an evil pleasure in his voice.

It had been just a normal lesson to the kids. A normal lesson, the teacher had been talking over their lesson plan and then the door had opened.

The psychopath was a terrifying creature. A rotten head with dirty brown hair fixed upon a rusty suit of armour covered in spikes.

This was the Estates real plan. Distract the real threat to get the prince, one of their lesser but most reliable assassins to get the job done.

He had frown himself through the door and in a flash taken the teacher by the head and forced her against her desk, she hadn't even had time to plea to spare the children or scream before the creature slammed his iron fists against her hands delighted to hear the crack of bone beneath them.

She wailed in pain. Children stood up, girls and boys reeled in horror as they watched their teacher be assaulted in such a way. What were they to do? They already knew they were powerless compared to this monster.

"Hello Kiddies" The rotten green face spoke a long tongue "Here's the thing if you don't sit back down and shut the fuck up"

His eyes widened as he raised her weeping head in one spike covered hand, "I'm gonna fuck up this bitch right now! Is that fucking understood!"

It was clearly understood as the kids sat back down. Too afraid to be able to say anything else. People were crying. That look of genuine terror was painted on all of them.

And he lied of course, oh how that bastard lied. The prince was a lying bastard as his armoured chest opened up slowly.

The last sight the kids ever saw a glimpse of rotten flesh where the armour opened up. A slit suddenly appearing in the centre of it and widening and twisting into a mouth of fangs. The Prince murmured under his breath the final two words that would seal it all as the mouth opened slowly.

"_Release Diablo…"_

---

The infirmary was silent after the speech from Al.

The corridor was silent after the revelation from Rale.

The muddy field was now silent after the scene before Chazz that Rox now displayed.

But all this changed in an instant as duel academy island was enveloped in luminous purple flame.

A brilliant heat over duel academy Island, a heat that could not scar or kill but yet sent a fire that seemed to burn and defile the very soul of any good natured human being.

The infirmary was suddenly filled with a new chaos, confusion and fear. No one was no longer concerned with the speech from the mysterious duelist but the purple flame that was curling around their bodies and sting their flesh.

Axiss was now stood up her mouth dropped as she ran her hand through the purple flame. Pegasus was now pinned up against the wall his face full of shock, "No…this can't be right" he murmured.

Jaden stood in the middle of the room turning around and around on the spot at the fire that wrapped around him. This was unlike anything that had happened so far. He felt sick, why did his heart hurt so bad? He fell to one knee clutching his chest, "Wh….whats happening?"

The only person who wasn't in panic was Al who now sat on his chair his eyes narrowed but relaxed. A single word came from his mouth.

"Collision"


	15. Destination?

Note the characters in this chapter are going to have their decks messed around with a bit. Some cards are gonna be exactly how it's played in the game, some I'm gonna toy with the rules a bit. I feel that this fic is detached from the series and if we are to tie them down to the series decks then where the hell does that leave creativity? Can I get an amen?

----

Collision was not like anything duel academy had experienced before, sure the island had been once exposed to such forces as the Gods, the Lords and the shadow realm. But this was uncontrollable untamed power. An explosion that literally cracked the boarders of existence.

The island was no long visible on the oceans service, it was submerged in a giant blaze of colour changing light. A violent rainbow that was forcing back the waters that surrounded the island.

It was a sight to behold, but no one could explain it. If there was a chance that someone could see the scene of mass destruction unfolding then that would be what people feared. That it couldn't be explained.

But what did this all mean? Did it mean that a new presence was coming to rule from the island? Did it mean that the Tormentors were going to attack the island at once and Jaden and the rest of the duellists would be left to fend against them.

Hardly.

There would be a chance of survival if it were any of those possibilities.

Now the sky was beginning to crack like a hammer against glass. It shattered revealing outer space to be seen from the ground below that was currently being shredded.

A red bolt suddenly pierced through the hole in the atmosphere causing the colours to wrap round it and smash into the small spec of an island below.

The island broke in two.

The pieces flew into the air before splitting into further parts.

And then the island died.

-------

It was a shame really how at this moment hundreds and thousands of miles away flying in from a tournament was Zane Truesdale, in a urgent call to go see his brother.

"_Your brothers been hurt Zane"_

That was the only words he needed to know before he stepped out of the tournament. Why should a tournament matter to him when his family was hurt?

He stared out the window of the jet before yawning and lying back in his chair, long blue hair falling across his face. It would be good to see everyone again, maybe see how much stronger Jaden had become.

_Bing Bong "The captain would like everyone to know that due to weather conditions the seat belt sign has now been turned on"_

He blinked in confusion at the seat belt sign that hung over his head. He looked out the window once more and suddenly noticed the black clouds that hung around the jet. How long had it been like that? Had he been so entranced in his day dream.

He sighed again before reaching into the pocket of his blue coat and pulling out his deck. The Cyber End Dragon from the bottom looking up at him with a great amount of pride in its appearance.

"You're a duellist?"

He looked to his side at the boy that sat next to him. He was wearing a black coat with a purple hood that covered his face.

"Yeah are you?" He asked his eyes not showing particular interest but when someone wanted to know if he was a duellist it usually meant they were going to ask him for a game.

The stranger nodded before looking a little towards him to look at the card Zane held in his hand, "So you are Zane Truesdale" the voice under the purple hood sounded happy now, more impressed than before.

"Yeah that would be me" He spoke now a little confused by the reaction, who was this guy? Why was he hiding his face?

"Zane Truesdale?" A voice suddenly called out from the other side of the plane in alarm. He looked over to see a figure stood up next to an air hostess that looked as if she was about to lecture him before noticing Zane.

The figure was a boy with shamrock green hair and strange yellow eyes that seemed half asleep, he was wearing a casual green shirt and baggy sand coloured trousers.

"Awesome so your no doubt on your way to Duel Academy too huh?" He asked eagerly, the air hostess (a blonde haired woman in a baby blue uniform) was now looking back and fourth between the two.

"Correct" He replied.

"Great I'll just kick your ass when we get there!" The boy laughed before slumping back down in his seat. Zane just turned away; he just wanted to enjoy his flight.

"So what cards you use?" He asked the stranger that set next to him.

"Oh erm…." The stranger suddenly replied as if embarrassed.

"This and that" he spoke with a little chuckle.

Well that was before a sudden scream suddenly echoed through the jet.

Zane's head turned in alarm as he suddenly watched both air hostesses suddenly fall to the ground. People were getting out of their seats. Seat belts unclipped.

"Darts?" A fat man with glasses asked with confusion in his voice as he looked down at the unconscious air hostess that lay down by his seat. She now had a small red dart in her neck.

There was a sudden sound of something flying through the air before suddenly another dart went straight into the man. He grunted before falling down.

"What the…" Zane spoke before suddenly grunting as something pierced his neck. He fell back.

He lost consciousness.

----

"_The should have wore their seat belts"_

The first words that Zane heard before his eyes opened slowly and he witnessed the sight before him.

"Oh…my…God" he breathed.

The first thing he knew was that he had been moved to the back of the plane in the middle seat. The second thing he knew was that everybody was dead.

Well your bound to know that considering that sat in the seats on the right and left of them were now all holding corpses with bloody spots for eyes, like they had been stabbed through the head. And the seats in front were sliced in half at the middle. None of their severed body parts were about.

He clutched his stomach and undid the seat belt which held him. He got up and turned before gasping as he saw that sitting next to him was what looked like an air hostesses body nailed to the seat by hundreds of spikes.

He couldn't take it. He leapt and fell to the ground on the isle of the jet and threw up clutching his stomach and panting.

Why?

Why would someone do this?

"_**HEEEEEEEE!"**_

He had barely any time to react before he felt something grab him by the shirt collar and throw him backwards.

He didn't collide with anything as he soared through the air.

He hit the ground much harder than he thought he would and let out a gasp of pain. What had he hit? The ground felt so solid.

"What the…" his voice trailed off, wind was blowing through his hair, he could feel it on his face…

"I'm outside?" He spoke in alarm as he looked around, he was literally outside the plane standing on the top of it. He had been thrown through the plane? How was he still standing? Why wasn't he falling?

"_**HEEEEEEE!"**_

That same high pitch squeal from before. His eyes widened as he watched a hole suddenly tear through the planes top.

A claw suddenly emerged and hoisted the rest of the body it belonged to out onto the planes top.

"Monster…" Zane breathed as the creature fully appeared.

It was like a statue of flesh. Great chunks of flesh and body parts making up a of four giant clawed legs and a fleshy chunk of a body.

There was a person riding on the back of it. No there were two people riding on the back of it. No they were it! The two people were literally parts of the body.

"Glad your awake" One body spoke. The air hostess from earlier, now a completely naked body with now hair that was sew to the fleshy golem beneath her by her legs.

"_**HEEEEEE!"**_

The other body screeched. The duellist from earlier with the big mouth, his body was secured to the front of the fleshy creature. His body was cut in half but he had an extra set of arm with spinning blades secured onto them.

"_**HEEEEE!"**_

He screeched again his face twisted in madness, there was blood running down it.

"You'll have to excuse my brother he's never been quite the same since we became one" The air hostess murmured with a low sigh. Now as Zane looked her in the face and reeled. The woman had no eyes, just bloody holes.

"What the hell are you…" He spoke in terror, Zanes body crawling back.

"**_HEEEEE! SHUT UP ZANE TRUESDALE!" _**The boy half of the creature yelled at him his eyes wide, **_"YOUR OUR PREY YOUR OUR PREY! DUEL! DUEL!"_**

"If you would…" The female part spoke before reaching behind her sew together body and producing three duel disks, she threw one of them at Zane which landed at his feet.

"What is this…why aren't we falling? Is the captain still alive?"

"No…you see there is no captain…there isn't even a plane…because you see Zane" the female spoke before securing one duel disk to her arm, "We are the plane…"

She clicked her fingers and below them suddenly came the wail of bent metal as the plane tore open under their feet and formed into a plate of jagged metal covered in blood and corpses.

"We decide who stays on this plane and who does not…and these corpses don't" The two bodies swept their arms to both sides. Like a parting sea the blood and corpses flew off the floor and off the side of the circular plane. Zane's face twisted in horror, how could they do that? To peoples bodies?

"It's a shadow realm duel two on one winner stays alive" The female called out as her brother slipped on his duel disk.

"Failure to except will result in you falling off this plane" she spoke before suddenly her brother screamed.

"_**HEEEE! HEEEEE! ANOTHER! ANOTHER! HEEEE!"**_

Zane's face twisted in confusion and terror as the creature stepped forward in a threatening manner. But it was at this moment he realised someone was standing right next to him. Wearing a long black coat and a purple hood.

"Those people…" the voice spoke, it was a small voice but at the same time had a tone of royalty in it, it sounded like the type of voice that would belong to a shy prince.

"Those people were all innocent…and you killed them" The voice spoke before the figure reached up and pulled down his hood.

Blonde spikes of hair jutted out from his forehead followed by a mane of purple, his purple eyes narrowed on them as he threw his coat to the floor revealing a sleeveless black shirt and purple jeans. A duel disk activated on his arm.

"No….way…" Zane breathed his eyes wide before he slowly got to his feet. Sure the stranger was shorter than Zane but that didn't make the astonishment any less grand.

"Yugi Moto..." Zane spoke, the duelist turned his head towards Zane a small smile creeping up on his face.

"Sorry I didn't tell you but a guy like me doesn't like to show himself off" He spoke with an almost contagious smile as the same smile threatened to break out on Zane's face.

"No problem" he answered before clipping on the duel disk, "Wanna take them?"

"Your names!" Yugi called out at the rotting mutation that seemed more than a little surprised that such a person had appeared.

"G…Gemelos" The girl responded, if her eyes could show shock they would have.

"_**PUDRIR BIG SHOT! I'LL KICK YOUR ASS! WE'LL TEAR YOU APART! WE'LL CUT YOU INTO CHUNKS!"**_

The boys mad ranting was suddenly soothed as Gemelos reached forward and stroked the rotten head of hair on the boys head, "Ssssh Pudrir…relax…we can kill them…"

She turned her head from Yugi to Zane before calling to them "The life point limit is 4000 for each of us, you may not confer your strategy but you may use any cards that your tag partner has on the field"

"Fine" Zane answered before taking out his deck and slotting it in the duel disk.

Gemelos: 4000

Pudrir: 4000

Yugi: 4000

Zane: 4000

"Duel!" Both teams called out before the scores activated. The deformed creature scuttled back. Gemelos drew five cards from her deck before placing down one of them.

"I'll go first" Gemelos called out before placing a card of the duel disk that currently looked as if it was cutting through her rotten arm, "I summon Spider Lady to attack mode"

A single thread of silk fell from the sky above them before a body shot down the thread and landed on the ground. It scuttled and turned in Zane and Yugi's direction revealing it to be a pale skinned woman with brown hair and red eyes, the bottom half of her body were the legs and body of a spider. She reared her blade like legs swiped the air viciously. (1600/1700)

"Then two cards face down end turn" she called out before her head turned towards Zane.

He ignored the eye less glance and drew a card from his deck. His eyes moved from one hideous figure to the next before looking towards Yugi.

"_In a tag duel like this I'm at a disadvantage…the fact that there are two opponents means there's a risk in me losing cyber end dragon on the first turn…" _ He looked at Yugi's expression. His eyes were narrowed but confident as he looked at them before turning to Zane.

A smile passed over Yugi's mouth, a friendly encouragement to a fellow duellist. He couldn't help but smile before slapping down a card "I special summon my Cyber Dragon from my hand to the field"

He called out his eyes glance never waving as a blue light burst in front of him and formed into a creature. A serpent like creature made completely from metal, its eyes gleamed with power as it through back its head and roared. (2100/1600)

"And I'll play two cards face down" he called out before looking towards the severed body of Pudrir.

The body currently had one of it's hands on his deck, he was shaking. As if he was suppressing something.

"Your move" Zane called out, but the dead boy did not react.

"Whats wrong with your brother?" Yugi called out. Zane didn't know why it surprised him so much but the tone of Yugi's voice actually sounded concerned. Concerned for a murderous undead abomination?

"He's fine" Gemelos called out in a bitter tone.

"Pudrir it's your move" Yugi called out in a friendly voice.

"Shut up and leave him alone!" Gemelos snapped, the minute she rose her voice Pudrir snapped out of his trance and let out a screech before he drew a card.

His eyes glanced from Zane to Yugi with a mad expression. His mouth opened for a moment in hesitation before he slapped down a card.

"I play the card Pegasus Storm Hove in attack mode" he called out with a snarl his eyes wide as something shot out from the sky and landed in front of them.

A pale horse with huge dove like wings, it would have been considered a thing of beauty if not for the fact that it's hooves were armoured with spikes and it's head had a scythe like blade on the top of it. (1900/1400)

"And then I'll play a field spell called Eye of the Hurricane" He yelled out, a card appeared on the field with the picture of a warrior screaming as he was surrounded by a raging twister.

The wind suddenly began to pick up and the winged horse stretched it's wings before slowly rising into the air, a smirk of tainted satisfaction twitched on Pudrir's face.

"This card makes all wind monsters gain 400 attack points and on top of that when wind monsters are destroyed the monster that destroyed it is destroyed as well!" The horse let out a screech like neigh as the wind picked up and surrounded it like a shield. (2300/1400)

"Your…move…" he called out slowly as he looked towards Yugi, it looked as though just doing those simple movements and saying simple words were almost impossible for him to do, as if any moment he would break down into a fit of anger.

Yugi frowned as he slowly drew one card from his deck, he was always one to think better about most people just like Jaden. Even if they were horrible murderous creatures something inside him wouldn't let him hate them.

He looked through his hand before placing a card down "I place one card face down on the field and activate Card Destruction" He called out as a card with a hand throwing a handful of cards away appeared on the field.

"This makes it so all of us will now discard our hands to the graveyard and draw an entirely new hand" he declared with a cheer, Zane's face widened in shock. They were supposed to be a team how could Yugi just throw away their strategy's like that?

But Yugi didn't seem to notice Zane's surprised stare or the stares of his opponents as they discarded their hands and drew a new hand of cards.

"Then I'll activate my face down card Disgraceful charity which brings back all the cards we just discarded" He cheered as a trap card with a purple skinned demon woman appeared holding a set of cards.

As Yugi picked up the cards he discarded her looked towards Zane and smiled warmly, "Now I have all the cards I need to pull of this combo"

He looked towards Pudrir and Gemelos his eyes narrowed before he slammed down a card, "I play polymerization and fuse together Jack's Knight, Queen's Knight and King's Knight!"

Zane's eyes widened as all three monsters appeared on the field. Three monsters dressed like playing cards. A knight with long blonde hair and a sword, a woman dressed in red with a sword and shield and a man wearing a crown and wielding a sword and shield of his own appeared in front of Yugi before they were suddenly surrounded by a ring of spinning playing cards.

"And this creates Arcana Knight Joker!" Yugi called out as the playing cards faded away revealing a mighty warrior with long purple hair dressed in gold armour and dark blue robes. In one hand he held a mighty silver sword while on his wrist was an arrow shaped shield. (3800/2500)

"No way he managed to summon a monster that powerful on his first turn?" Zane murmured in surprise before looking towards the abomination that was Pudrir and Gemelos who seemed equally surprised.

"Then I play one card face down" Yugi called out a smirk growing on his face before he pointed at the winged horse, "And attack your Pegasus with Arcana Knight Joker"

The knight leapt forward with it's sword raised the horse not even having a moment to run away before it was sliced in two. The two halves of the pale horse falling to the floor, its dead form splattering the metal below before.

The knight looked towards the severed body of Pudrir that hung from the abomination before him and raised his sword, he was about to give Pudrir his share of the damage.

"He's going to slice him in half…" Zane breathed the fact that the Pegasus had been perfectly carved up now only sinking in that this would be more violent than any game before.

He looked towards Yugi who now looked as though he was about to yell out from Arcana to stop his attack as the warrior raised his sword.

"I activate my Spider Lady's special ability!" Gemelos called out from the mount of rotten flesh, the spider woman making a choking sound as she ended the sentence before suddenly a line of silver thread shot out from her mouth and wrapped around Arcana's sword and threw him back to Yugi's side of the field.

"Once per turn" she called out behind a mask of long hair that now covered the front of her face "As long as Spider Lady is on the field I can select one monster destroyed as a result of battle and negate any damage to mine or my brothers life points"

"And there's more…." The mocking tone of Pudrir spat before chuckling as a blast of wind shot past them, Zane and Yugi shielded themselves with their arms as the Pegasus corpse began to raise from the battle field and float in the breeze before it was torn apart into bloody shards.

"What's happening?" Yugi yelled out trying to keep himself from blowing away in the breeze as the shards of the Pegasus corpse twisted and turned into a vicious red hurricane.

"You didn't forget Eye of the Storms effect?" Pudrir yelled out with a mocking laugh "Since you destroyed Pegasus I can destroy Arcana Knight Joker!" he yelled out as the red hurricane moved towards the knight.

Arcana merely looked up at the hurricane with no surprise or shock as it began to draw him in to his certain death. A smile appeared on the corner of Yugi's mouth, "I didn't actually"

Aracana raised his sword into the air as Yugi placed a card in his graveyard. A playing card of the queen of spades suddenly appeared behind Arcana and merged with his sword.

"Whenever Arcana is targeted by an effect once every turn I can discard a card from my hand that's exactly the same as it like my Tome of dark magic to negate the effect" Yugi called out before Arcana jumped through the hurricane slashing it in two.

Pudrir blinked, unsure of what had just happened before roaring and grabbing his head with one pair of his sewn on arms, "NOOO CHEATER CHEATER!"

"Hey…hey don't get so upset you had a good strategy" Yugi called out defensively his eyes wide with surprise.

"I would save the compliments for someone who isn't messed up Yugi" Zane murmured his eyes shifting to the sightless Gemelos who drew a card from her deck.

"My move" She murmured before pointing to one of her face down cards, "I now activate one of my face down cards Tomb Fusion"

The card flipped up revealing a flesh covered book with a skeleton hand reaching out from the front cover and grabbing a human hand, "This will take my brothers Pegasus and now add the attack points to my Spider Lady" (3500)

The same book appeared in front of the spider creature, the skeleton hand grabbing it by one of it's spear like legs. It made no attempt to struggle as an aura of darkness began to flow from the hand. A wicked grin formed on her face and she reared onto her back legs before scuttling towards the metal dragon on Zane's field.

"Spider Lady now attacks Cyber Dragon!" Gemelos called out her long hair falling over her face to hide the holes where her eyes should have been.

"I activate my face down card Attack Reflector Unit" Zane called out not flinching at the creepy spider abomination that was scuttling towards his monster. A card with a cyber dragon being fitted with mirror like devices appeared on the field.

"With this I can replace my Cyber Dragon with Cyber Barrier dragon in defence mode" He called out as his cyber dragon glowed with a purple light before revealing a monster that looks almost the same as the Cyber Dragon before except it had a metal cone like ring around it's head which glowed with purple energy. (800/2800)

"And with his special ability I can negate one attack against either me or Yugi every turn" Zane explained his expression not changing from his usual serious look. He found it a little surprising himself that could now act how he always did in a duel despite the obvious fact that he could die in one wrong move.

But Zane knew why he wouldn't show fear in front of these creatures anymore. It was because he already knew him and Yugi were better than them.

Gemelos gave a small grunt of annoyance as the Spider Lady scuttled back to her side of the field, the book that gripped one of its legs shattered into fragments of flesh and paper. (1600)

"I play one card face down and end my turn" Gemelos called out a card appearing besides the previous two she had put down.

"I draw and activate Call of the haunted" Zane called out as his face down flipped up, a purple mist rising from the ground before him before forming into a serpent like shape.

"To bring back cyber dragon" He called out as the creature reformed it's metal body clanged against the floor of their battle field. It roared again a burst of fire shot from it's mouth in a display of power.

"And now I'll summon combine the Cyber Dragon on the field with the Cyber Dragon in my hand with polymerization" As he explained this another Cyber Dragon appeared on the field, in an explosion of electricity the two machine's formed into a silver serpent like dragon with two heads "To form Cyber Twin Dragon" (2800/2100)

Zane looked from Gemelos to Pudrir, Gemelos had three face down cards she was bound to use them to defend her brother.

'_Better to activate them now so Yugi can attack her…'_ Zane thought before pointing at Pudrir "Now Cyber Twin Dragon has an ability of being able to attack twice so I'll attack Pudrir twice since he's wide open!"

As the dragon threw back both of its head and fired a burst of flame from each of them a look of panic crossed Pudrir's face. If he was attacked twice he would be dead after merely the second turn.

"I activate Altar for Tribute" Gemelos called out as she pointed to a card that flipped up revealing a man strunge up to a demonic looking tower.

"Which will now sacrifice my Spider Lady and raise my life points by 1600" As Gemelos explained this the same altar on the card rose from the ground behind her Spider Lady, it chained the creature to it's spikey rock face. The Spider let out a screech of pain as rocks pierced through it's body splattering its surface with blood before it sank back into the ground carrying with it the screams of the Spider Lady and leaving Zane and Yugi shocked.

"Why would you do that?" Yugi called out his fist clenched as he looked on at Gemelos.

Gemelo's life points: 5600

"So I can activate Michizure" She murmured revealing a card with a man hanging from a cliff by one hand and another man holding on to his legs.

"So that's it…you destroyed Spider Lady on purpose so you could activate Michizure" Zane murmured slightly impressed as two giant arms rose from the ground and pushed back the jets of fire from his Cyber Dragon monster and grabbed it in both hands.

"Which can only be activated when a monster is sent to the graveyard" Gemelos called out without a hint of satisfaction in her voice as the arms lifted the creature into the air and began to sink into the ground.

"I activate Arcana's ability!" Yugi called out as he discarded a card from his hand, this time the Jack of diamonds appeared behind Arcana and merged with his sword. The knight leapt into the air about to slice through the arms that held the dragon.

"No you won't" Gemelos muttered, the sound of something sharp piercing the air rang through their heads before the knight fell to the ground with a grunt of surprise and pain. It landed with a heavy thud on the ground.

"An arrow?" Yugi exclaimed as he watched his warrior fall to the ground. A giant arrow stuck in his left shoulder with a venomous purple feather hanging from the end of it.

"Restriction Arrow" Gemelos called out, the moment she uttered the words Arcana let out a roar of pain as he clutched the arrow between his hands. The sound of sizzling was heard as Arcana twitched and yelled in pain. The jet black arrow head that embedded itself in the warrior was melting and dripping a poisonous black substance on the floor.

"Stop it!" Yugi yelled out his eyes wide as he watched his creature squirm in pain, but Gemelos didn't reply. Pudrir was laughing maniacally, the monster like body shaking with malicious chuckles.

"When a monsters effect activates restriction arrow will instantly negate the effect and prevent him from ever using the effect again" Gemelos spoke, though her brother was horrible with violence and a disgusting insanity she was different. She was bitter and cold from inside and out and would not show a sign of mercy, that was what Zane could already tell.

"Now…" Gemelos murmured as she looked up at the towering arms that held the dragon.

"Kill…" she murmured Pudrir's laugh echoing over the battle field as it dragged the creature into the ground below.

Zane looked on as the two heads sunk under the ground. A pang of regret flowing through his body, did he show it? No, Zane was not the type to show such emotions in situations like this.

"You're not very good at working together are you?" Gemelos muttered, "You're not good at saving yourselves and you're no good at protecting people…"

Yugi didn't reply, Zane's eyes merely narrowed in an unimpressed glance.

"You can't even say anything back!" Gemelos snapped her fist clenching and mouth twisted in a bitter frown.

"I have no other words to waste on a worthless abomination" Zane muttered, Pudrir's body lurched forward and he let out a howl of anger his arms slicing at the air in an attempt to cause harm to Zane. He did not flinch, he knew that Pudrir could do no harm to him as the back legs of the twisted duo reared back.

"Pudrir down!" Gemelos snapped, Zane shook his head with a sigh before placing to cards down.

"But it looks like I'm going to have to waste some words…I play two cards face down" Zane called out trying to ignore the horrified look on Yugi's face which looked straight towards him, questioning how he could act such a way "And end my turn"

Yugi turned from Zane back to Arcana, silenced. Pudrir merely laughed as he drew a new card.

"I play one card face down" He called out as it formed on the field "And remove the Pegasus in my graveyard from play"

A burst of wind shot out from the ground below, the sound of the horse's screech echoed through the wind.

"To special summon Garuda the wind spirit" He called out as the wind formed into a human like creature with an eagle head and wings. (1600/1200)

"And because of Eye of the Storm his attack gets increased by 400!" The same wind barrier that had wrapped around Pegasus formed around the creature as it screeched and stretched its wings. (2000)

"And now I'll summon Pale Wing Owl!" He called out with a cackle as a giant silver owl with bright white wings flew down from the sky and landed next to Garuda. (1400/800)

"And remember he's a wind type so…." Pudrir called out his face lighting up with a sick grin as the owl was surrounded by a barrier of wind. (1900/800)

"Those aren't bad stats but their not exactly going to dent my Cyber Barrier Dragon" Zane called out his eyes scanning the two monsters.

"Oh but this owl has a special power to be able to return one monster from your side of the field to you hand so long as I return one to my hand" Pudrir cackled before pointing a severed arm towards Garuda who immediately flew into the sky.

"Since I have Garuda on the field I'm going to send it back to my hand…" He pointed his other arm towards Zane's dragon who now was forced backwards slowly as the wind began to pick up, the owl was now flapping it's wings. A powerful gust began to pick up.

It flapped once more before a strong blast of wind flew forward and crashed into the metal dragon sending it flying into the air above, "And send your Cyber Barrier Dragon back to your hand"

"And now you're defenceless! Attack him directly Pale Wing!" He yelled out as the owl flapped its wings and launched itself towards Zane.

"And this is why you're worthless…" Zane muttered as the owl came to a sudden halt its beak open in shock.

"What!" Pudrir yelled out "Cheater! CHEATER!"

"Shut up" Zane muttered pointing towards the new trap card that had flipped up, a card with a picture of a clock surrounded by strange patterns.

"I activate Time Counter Flux" He muttered, suddenly the playing field began to rewind itself. The monsters that appeared on Pudrir's side of the field moving like the whole scene was being put on rewind.

"What the hell!" Pudrir called out, Gemelos herself seemed oddly surprised as her brothers birds disappeared from off the field. A hiss was heard before suddenly the ground opened up and two monsters flew out of it.

A metal dragon which placed itself in front of Zane, and a spider like creature that placed itself in front on Gemelos's half of the field.

"This card allows me to reset all monster cards exactly how they were at the start of my turn so since the only monsters in play were Cyber Barrier Dragon, Spider Lady and Arcana Knight Joker the field restores them back to how they were before my turn began" The battlefield was suddenly silent, clearly Zane had out thought them.

Pudrir snarled and slapped a card onto the field "I play one card face down and end my turn"

The silence continued. Yugi made no move to draw a card.

"Yugi?" Zane called out an eyebrow raised as he watched the blonde and purple haired boy pause to draw a card from his deck.

"Why do you hesitate?" Gemelos called out in annoyance.

Yugi's mouth opened slowly, "Why…."

"What?" Gemelos spat.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you killing? Why are you like this?" Yugi murmured slowly.

The silence remained. Pudrir and Gemelos stared with a blank look on their faces.

"Never been asked that" Pudrir stated simply a frown forming on his blood stained face.

Yugi drew a card slowly before slapping it down, he didn't even need to look at it "I draw and play de-fusion to summon jack, queen and king from my graveyard!"

Arcana glowed with a yellow light before splitting into three. The same warriors as before forming in front of Yugi their swords raised.

"What made you like this?" he asked again in a murmur.

"Why do you ask? You don't care!" Gemelos snapped back.

"I'll activate Union Attack" Yugi murmured a magic card with a dragon being attack by two warriors at once.

"And I do care…you've obviously suffered…and it's not fair" He murmured again not looking up.

"Jack's knights attack power is now increased by the attack power of kings and queens knight" He explained in a solemn voice, King and Queens knight stood either side of Jack's knight before placing their hands on his shoulders. A warm glow began to move from their hands to Jack's Knight. (5000)

"You don't care and we won't tell!" Gemelos yelled out Pudrir responded by letting out a roar of his own his arms raised in a threatening manner.

"Then you leave me no choice" he murmured before placing down a card.

"I'm going to sacrifice King and Queen" He called out, a purple mist rose from the ground and surrounded the two knights that stepped away from Jack's Knight.

A figure began to rise from the mist. A green staff waving it away and revealing the most famous of all of Yugi's monsters. It stood proud in it's purple robes its pale eyes focused on Pudrir and Gemelos. (2500/2100)

"I summon the dark magician"

----

To be continued…I must again apologise my brain has been broken this last week and a bit so this chapter probably sucks shrugs what you gonna do? Next one will be up in a bit.


End file.
